Two of Zimbabwe’s best known opposition figures have agreed to form an alliance against President Robert Mugabe.
Long-time Mugabe critic Morgan Tsvangirai and former Vice-President Joice Mujuru say they will work together in next year’s election.
However, it is not yet clear which of them will be the presidential candidate.
Mr Mugabe, 93, has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980 and has said he will seek re-election.
“This is just the beginning of the building blocks towards establishing a broad alliance to confront Zanu-PF between now and the next election,” Mr Tsvangirai told journalists.
Mr Mugabe has previously said he would not be losing any sleep over the proposed coalition.
Mr Tsvangirai has run against Mr Mugabe several times since he helped found the Movement for Democratic Change in 2000.
Each time he has said he was denied victory because of violence and rigging – charges denied by Mr Mugabe and his allies.
He became prime minister in a tension-filled coalition government with Mr Mugabe from 2009 until 2013.
Ms Mujuru was vice-president to Mr Mugabe for 10 years until she was fired in 2014. She went on to set up the National People’s Party.
