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Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Embattled MDC-Alliance co-vice president Mr Elias Mudzuri yesterday snubbed a crucial meeting of the party’s standing committee amid indications that he feared a violent backlash following allegations that he defied party directives.

Mr Mudzuri has in the past clashed with party hawks after it became apparent that he was keen to  challenge leader Mr Nelson Chamisa in an elective congress set for next year.

This is the second meeting he has snubbed. Mr Chamisa is today expected to chair two meetings of the party’s top organs — the national executive and national council. Some officials aligned to Mr Chamisa want Mr Mudzuri expelled from the party. Sources in the party said Mr Mudzuri had stopped attending meetings, the latest being yesterday’s standing committee, which comprises the presidium and a handful of top party officials.

“His attendance will obviously draw heckling, booing and, at worst, violence like what happened to former deputy treasurer Elton Mangoma just before the last split in 2014,” said a source who attended yesterday’s meeting.

“It is now a tricky situation for him because his continued absence can be used as a basis to take disciplinary measures against him.”

Another source said Mr Mudzuri offered an apology yesterday saying he was attending to family business.