Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's formation of the Movement for Democratic Change on Saturday was to launch a campaign of meetings and rallies to sound out party supporters on whether the MDC should stay in the national unity government.
Party sources said its national council and executive broke ranks with Mr. Tsvangirai pushing for a process that could lead to the formation pulling out of the unity government - though most observers doubt Mr. Tsvangirai himself is inclined to take that route.
Despite progress on the economic front, health and schools, the unity government has been troubled from its inception in February by lingering disagreements over top posts and other vexed questions, as well as by official prosecutions of MDC members of Parliament.
Tsvangirai MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that nine rallies and 35 ward-level consultations in six provinces are scheduled to help the party map its way forward on unity government participation.