HARARE - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC will unveil a new party symbol at its 13th anniversary that opens today at White City Stadium in Bulawayo.

The party is moving to clear confusion among voters and controversy over the open palm symbol which it shares with the smaller MDC led by Welshman Ncube.

“We want to distinguish ourselves from others that want to copy our symbol for electoral expediency,” Mwonzora told journalists on the side-lines of a debate on the draft constitution organised by Bulawayo Agenda.

“Although we will continue to use the open palm, the only difference is that we will use a symbol of a small child to represent the future, love, likeability and innocence.”

Thousands of supporters are expected to throng White City Stadium for the 13th anniversary whose significance rests on being the last one before the much anticipated general elections.

An upbeat Mwonzora said his party was prepared to go for the plebiscite provided free and fair polls are guaranteed.

“Mugabe can have his polls any time he likes provided they are free and fair,” Mwonzora said.

On Monday, the party’s Bulawayo provincial chairperson Gorden Moyo told journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club that the celebration will be the biggest that the party has ever hosted.

“It will be a big show, of Olympian standard, vibrant, a tsunami indeed. It will also be the last one before we get into power,” Moyo said.

“Zanu PF has been stealing elections, but this time around the people of Zimbabwe will punish them. Zanu PF is behaving like Herod who wanted to kill Jesus in Biblical times, but after 13 years MDC has survived years of Zanu PF ‘dominance’,” Moyo said.

Today’s event will reflect on past human right violations such as Gukurahundi, Operation Murambatsvina and the deadly 2008 election violence.

MDC officials also say they will pay tribute to all those who died and were injured in the fight for democracy, discuss unemployment and bread and butter issues. - Own Correspondent