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Mugabe wants to 'swallow' Tsvangirai
Maybe not in the literal NOM NOM NOM sense, but unsurprisingly the MDC' power in their apparent 'power-sharing deal.'
The Zimbabwe power-sharing deal could already be in serious trouble after President Mugabe has demanded to appoint all the new government' key cabinet ministers himself, a move which would pretty much render the opposition powerless.
After a heated hour of discussions between Tsvangirai and Mugabe, the MDC leader and prime minister-elect has asked South Africa's Thabo Mbeki to help try and salvage the process.
An MDC spokesman reportedly: "We want to share power. But Mugabe wants to swallow the MDC. We will not allow that. He wants all the key ministries - finance, home affairs, defence, information, foreign affairs, justice and even women and youth." Maybe not in the literal NOM NOM NOM sense, but unsurprisingly the MDC' power in their apparent 'power-sharing deal.' ... more -
Zimbabwe in need of new government, facing starvation
New Prime Minister and former leader of opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, told reporters that the country is in need of a newly formed government that will "address the country's food crisis and prevent starvation".
Read more at link. New Prime Minister and former leader of opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, told reporters that the country ... more -
Sense of optimism in Zimbabwe
The atmosphere in Zimbabwe this weekend is said to be unsettled but hopeful, as a new era of power sharing between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai crunches into gear. Although both parties had again failed to break the deadlock over forming an executive yesterday, a feverish sense of liberation seems to have gripped the population: the Guardian's Chris McGreal reveals how a couple of days ago, a soldier on his way to the front of a very long bank queue in the hyper-inflation-riddled country - used to being able to push his way past the queue - was challenged by voices piping up "Get to the back." And he did ... The atmosphere in Zimbabwe this weekend is said to be unsettled but hopeful, as a new era of power sharing between Robert Mugabe and M... more
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Mugabe stalls Zimbabwe's new government
In a sadly predictable turn, Robert Mugabe has postponed talks about dividing cabinet jobs among the MDC, just one day after agreeing to a power-sharing agreement with their leader, Morgan Tsvaingirai. In a sadly predictable turn, Robert Mugabe has postponed talks about dividing cabinet jobs among the MDC, just one day after agreeing ... more
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Zimbabwe Rivals sign power-share deal
HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's political rivals set aside deep differences Monday to sign a power-sharing deal intended to end the violent crisis that has paralyzed the country since the disputed election in March.
To jubilant cheers, longtime Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe shook hands with rival Morgan Tsvangirai at the ceremony.
"Divisions, polarization and hatred belong to the past," Tsvangirai said after the deal was signed.
"Let us not be divided by our past, but united by our hope for the future."
Under the deal, Mugabe remains president, while Tsvangirai becomes prime minister and coordinator of government affairs.
The leaders of the 14-member Southern African Development Community attended the signing of the agreement, which was brokered by South African leader Thabo Mbeki after months of protracted debate.
Third party leader Arthur Mutambara will become deputy prime minister under the agreement which he called "a compromise document, flaws, warts and all."
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read more at link. Share your comments HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's political rivals set aside deep differences Monday to sign a power-sharing deal intended to ... more -
Zimbabwe leaders sign historic pact
Robert Mugabe, signed a power-sharing agreement with opposition rival Morgan Tsvangirai on Monday, relinquishing some of his powers for the first time in nearly three decades of iron rule.
The deal followed weeks of tense negotiations to end a deep political crisis compounded by the veteran leader’s disputed and unopposed re-election in a widely condemned vote in June. Under the agreement, Mr Tsvangirai will become prime minister.
“This agreement sees the return of hope to all our lives. It is this hope that provides the foundation of this agreement that we sign today, that will provide us with the belief that we can achieve a new Zimbabwe,” Mr Tsvangirai said after the signing ceremony.
Zimbabweans hope the agreement will be a first step in helping to rescue the once prosperous nation from economic collapse. Inflation has rocketed to over 11 million per cent and millions have fled to neighboring southern African countries.
Cheers greeted the signing of the deal at a Harare hotel by Mr Mugabe, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Mr Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, who leads a breakaway faction of the main opposition party.
The three smiling Zimbabwean leaders exchanged copies of the agreement and shook hands in front of the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, who brokered the deal, and other African leaders.
Mr Mugabe, 84, made clear he would not tone down his attacks on Western countries such as former colonial power Britain. he accuses them of supporting the opposition in a bid to drive him from power.
“African problems must be solved by Africans... the problem we have had is a problem that has been created by former colonial powers,” Mr Mugabe said after the signing ceremony as Mr Tsvangirai looked uncomfortable.
But he added: “We are committed to the deal, we will do our best”.
Western countries are still keen to see how the deal works in practice but the European Union said today it stood ready to bring aid to Zimbabwe if the new government took measures to restore democracy and the rule of law.
The British foreign secretary, David Miliband, welcomed the agreement but said its details would be studied carefully.
“The new government needs to start to rebuild the country. If it does so, Britain and the rest of the international community will be quick to support them,” Mr Miliband said in a statement.
Under the deal agreed last week, Mr Tsvangirai will become prime minister and chair a council of ministers supervising the cabinet. Mr Mugabe, who has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980, will remain president and head the cabinet.
The deal is expected to split control of the powerful security forces that have been key backers of Mr Mugabe. Robert Mugabe, signed a power-sharing agreement with opposition rival Morgan Tsvangirai on Monday, relinquishing some of his powers fo... more -
Mugabe and Tsvangirai sign Zimbabwe power-sharing deal
Following months of negotiations, Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, and the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, signed an agreement to share power. Now the country can move towards getting financial help for its wrecked economy. Following months of negotiations, Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, and the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, signed an ag... more
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Details of Zimbabwe deal emerge
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is to retain control of the army and chair cabinet meetings, according to leaks of Thursday's power-sharing deal.
South African President Thabo Mbeki said Mr Mugabe had agreed to share power with Morgan Tsvangirai but said details would be released on Monday.
Mr Tsvangirai will control the police force and chair a new council of ministers, the sources say.
The deal followed seven weeks of talks and this year's election violence.
Mr Mugabe has yet to comment on the agreement, brokered by South Africa's leader.
Fair division?
BBC News is banned in Zimbabwe, but a BBC correspondent inside the country says MDC supporters are not rejoicing on the streets, nor are Zanu-PF backers protesting.
Instead a silent optimism prevails - and after so many false dawns, Zimbabwe is holding its breath, our correspondent says.
International donors have said they would resume financial aid for Zimbabwe's collapsing economy if Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is given a genuine share of power.
The EU said it would "evaluate the situation" at a foreign ministers' meeting on Monday.
BBC world affairs correspondent Adam Mynott says the agreement appears to give Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai roughly equal shares of power.
In cabinet, Mr Tsvangirai's MDC and another MDC faction will together have 16 seats, while Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF will have the remaining 15.
Mr Mugabe will control the armed forces, while Mr Tsvangirai will be in charge of the police.
Our correspondent says the devil will lie in the detail and in the ability of the two men and the power blocks under them to wield genuine authority.
click link for more Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is to retain control of the army and chair cabinet meetings, according to leaks of Thursday�... more -
Zimbabwe rivals agree on power-sharing deal
Zimbabwean leader Mugabe and Opposition leader Tsvangirai have reached an agreement on the power-sharing deal!
read article for more. Zimbabwean leader Mugabe and Opposition leader Tsvangirai have reached an agreement on the power-sharing deal! ... more -
Zimbabwe reaches power-sharing deal
RObert Mugabe's ruling party, Zanu PF, has reached a power sharing deal with the opposition MDC, their leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said. RObert Mugabe's ruling party, Zanu PF, has reached a power sharing deal with the opposition MDC, their leader Morgan Tsvangirai h... more
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Zimbabwe Parliament to be Sworn in Next Week
"Zimbabwe's government plans to convene parliament next week despite deadlock in talks to end a post-election political crisis that has worsened the country's economic decline and seen inflation hit 11 million percent.
The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change said it was not opposed to the opening of parliament but would reject any moves by President Robert Mugabe to appoint a cabinet before a power-sharing agreement is sealed.
"If he (Mugabe) goes further and appoints a cabinet, it will be against the letter and spirit of the MOU," party spokesman Tapiwa Mashakada said, in reference to a Memorandum of Understanding between the ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition on the negotiations."
This doesn't seem to be getting any better at all. You have to wonder when the UN will step in, as the AU couldn't get anything done. "Zimbabwe's government plans to convene parliament next week despite deadlock in talks to end a post-election political cris... more -
Zimbabwean opposition leader Tsvangirai would accept prime minister post
"Zimbabwe's opposition chief would accept the prime minister's post and concede the presidency — and command of the military — to Robert Mugabe to settle a political crisis in his country, the Associated Press learned Saturday.
Morgan Tsvangirai outlined his proposal for resolving the contentious issue of who would lead any unity government in Zimbabwe in a speech Friday to regional Cabinet ministers gathered for the Southern African Development Community summit. The AP obtained a copy of the speech on Saturday, the day the summit opened.
Tsvangirai's proposal, which he said his Movement for Democratic Change presented during the deadlocked negotiations with Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, would mean a major curbing of the powers Mugabe has wielded since the country gained independence in 1980.
But it also would leave Tsvangirai working closely with a leader he has reviled as a brutal dictator. After months of attacks on opposition supporters blamed on soldiers and police, the prospect of Mugabe remaining commander in chief was worrisome to some.
Elphas Mukonoweshuro, Tsvangirai's foreign policy adviser, acknowledged in an interview Saturday there was "a possibility of abuse," but said regional leaders who were expected to endorse a deal could keep a check on Mugabe.
The opposition may have little choice. Top military leaders have said publicly they would not recognize Tsvangirai's authority.
"This whole process is about sharing power," Mukonoweshuro said, adding, "Mr. Mugabe will be head of state and Mr. Tsvangirai will be head of government with executive power."
South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has been mediating Zimbabwe's power-sharing talks, spent much of the past week in Zimbabwe trying to push Mugabe and Tsvangirai to strike a deal. The question of Mugabe's role has been a major sticking point, with the longtime president reportedly refusing to yield any power and his administration publicly mocking Tsvangirai's claim to have the mandate to lead Zimbabwe.
In his speech Friday, Tsvangirai said the two sides remain unable to agree on how powers would be divided between him and Mugabe. A South African Cabinet minister closely involved in the talks, Sydney Mufamadi, said Saturday that a deal was close but said it was unclear if a breakthrough would come during the summit.
Tsvangirai walked out of talks in Harare on Tuesday, but his chief negotiator, Tendai Biti, said Saturday that the negotiations were back on track.
Friday, Tsvangirai said compromise is necessary because Zimbabweans would reject a deal "if any party is greedy."
"We have agreed that Mr. Mugabe will be president whilst I become prime minister," he told the SADC ministers. "We envisage that the prime minister must chair the Cabinet and be responsible for the formulation, execution and administration of government business, including appointing and dismissing his ministers .... A prime minister cannot be given responsibility without authority and be expected to deliver." "Zimbabwe's opposition chief would accept the prime minister's post and concede the presidency — and command of the mil... more -
Tsvangirai held at Harare airport
According to the members of the Zimbabwean opposition, the MDC, its leader Morgan Tsvangirai was temporarily detained at Harare Airport, with officials confiscating his passport.
On his way to a regional summit in South Africa, Morgan Tsvangirai was held up by police, but released once his flight had departed.
Secretary-General of the MDC, Tendai Bitl said: “They have taken our passports. This is a reflection of their insincerity. They want to talk to us yet they behave like hooligans.” According to the members of the Zimbabwean opposition, the MDC, its leader Morgan Tsvangirai was temporarily detained at Harare Airpor... more -
Officials claim Mugabe signs power-sharing deal without Tsvangirai
Officials say Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has signed the power-sharing deal without opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Even so, the opposition party denies the claim.
Mugabe's party said the deal did not involve Tsvangirai. This deal, however,promises cabinet positions with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)'s splinter group.
Tsvangirai says he is still involved with in the discussions and that the deal with the MDC was part of a larger deal that was never signed.
Spokesperson for the MDC's splinter group, Welshman Ncube, said that his party has not signed the deal with the Zimbabwean President, even though the Mugabe' s party states that he has signed the deal with Arthur Mutambara who is chief of the group.
The South African President, Thabo Mbeki, the mediator of the talks, did not confirm the signing of the deal. He did say that Mugabe and the splinter group have formed an "agreement" and were waiting for Tsvangirai's stance on some of the deal's points.
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read article for more. Officials say Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has signed the power-sharing deal without opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Even s... more -
Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai MDC Ready to Quit Talks If Solution Not Found
The Tsvangirai MDC has threatened to walk out of the power-sharing talks, citing the length of time it has taken to find a solution to the country's crisis, sources said on Monday.
'The talks cannot go on for ever. The MDC has made it known to Thabo Mbeki that they are not happy with the time it has taken to resolve the crisis,' said the source from Harare.
It is believed the MDC negotiators, including Morgan Tsvangirai, were ready to throw an ultimatum at Mbeki that after Monday they would walk out of the talks if all parties fail to agree to a common position.
Political analyst Glen Mpani told us the issue of security guarantees for Mugabe and his henchmen is proving to be one of the sticking points at the talks.
"This is why you see Zanu-PF saying the issue of Mugabe's position is none negotiable. Everything happening at the talks is about Mugabe's survival and not about resolving the crisis. This is why it has taken this long for the two sides to agree on the way forward," Mpani said
Negotiations have reportedly included proposals for Mugabe to take on a ceremonial role as President, in exchange for amnesty from prosecution, with Tsvangirai as executive prime minister. It is believed however that Mugabe is having none of this and is demanding that he leads the government.
"Mbeki needs to come out with a balancing act that would be acceptable to all parties and to Zimbabweans in general. But the feeling all around is that based on the 27th March results Morgan Tsvangirai should lead a new government in Zimbabwe, otherwise any other deal will be viewed with suspicion even among his own supporters and the international community," Mpani added. The Tsvangirai MDC has threatened to walk out of the power-sharing talks, citing the length of time it has taken to find a solution to... more -
Amnesty plan for Zimbabwean Pres. Mugabe
Under a gracious exit plan, Robert Mugabe will become Zimbabwe's ceremonial president during the forthcoming transition, after which he will retire as the Founding President and father of the beleaguered nation, protected under a blanket amnesty.
According to a draft settlement, in the possession of The Star, Morgan Tsvangirai will run the country as the new executive prime minister in a transitional government that will pave the way for fresh elections in the future.
The 50-page plus draft was circulated between the two rivals when they circumnavigated the Pretoria talks two weeks ago and liaised indirectly with one another in Harare via intermediaries.
The draft agreement will also provide the basis of the face-to-face meeting between the two men in Zimbabwean capital tomorrow, which will be facilitated by South African President Thabo Mbeki.
Although there is still no deal on the table, sources say the parties are receptive to the draft.
According to the document, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change will head the country through a period of transition.
While the MDC is pushing for a 24- or 30-month term, Mugabe's Zanu-PF is negotiating for five years. A compromise has still to be reached. Under a gracious exit plan, Robert Mugabe will become Zimbabwe's ceremonial president during the forthcoming transition, after wh... more -
Zimbabwe: Mugabe succumbs to pressure and starts secret talks with opposition
The rival claimants to victory in Zimbabwe's widely criticised presidential elections - Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai - have agreed to immediately begin intensive talks aimed at establishing a "new government".
At their first meeting in more than a decade, Zimbabwe's president and the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change yesterday signed a five-page "memorandum of understanding" that envisages a fortnight of secret talks by representatives dealing with an array of issues from political violence against the opposition to constitutional reform.
Mugabe, who only a few weeks ago was ruling out any deal with Tsvangirai but has been forced to give ground under myriad pressures including an imploding economy, described the memorandum as a "serious matter". "We sit here in order for us to chart a new way, a new way of political interaction," he said.
But he added ominously that negotiators must act without influence from the US or Europe. He has repeatedly accused the opposition of being "puppets" of the west when it has demanded that he surrender power.
Tsvangirai, who won the first round of presidential elections in March but pulled out of the run-off last month after a state-orchestrated campaign of killings, torture and abductions against his supporters, said "not finding a solution is not an option".
However, the obstacles to an agreement remain formidable, with Mugabe looking to legitimise the ballot that returned him to office, in which he claimed to have won 90% of the valid votes, while the opposition says any deal must strip him of power.
South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, oversaw the signing of the agreement at a Harare hotel after Tsvangirai refused to meet Mugabe at the presidential offices because it would infer recognition of his claim to power.
Mbeki, who is likely to claim the agreement as a vindication of his mediation by "quiet diplomacy", said all parties wanted a rapid resolution of the political crisis. "It commits the negotiating parties to an intense programme of work to try and finalise the negotiations as quickly as possible," he said. "All the Zimbabwean parties recognise the urgency of the matters they are discussing and all are committed to trying to complete this process as quickly as possible."
Mbeki has previously proposed what amounts to a transitional government with Mugabe as a titular president and real power in the hands of Tsvangirai as an executive prime minister while a coalition draws up a new constitution and holds fresh elections.
The MDC says it can live with that so long as Mugabe is stripped of power. But Zimbabwe's leader says that any agreement must recognise his claim to have won last month's presidential election run-off, even though few foreign governments have done so. He wants a government of national unity in which the MDC serves under his leadership.
Although the military-led campaign of violence against the opposition has greatly weakened the MDC on the ground, yesterday's signing is a reflection of the pressures on Mugabe.
The economy is imploding under the weight of hyperinflation, the Zimbabwe dollar loses half its value every day and the country is facing a looming famine after the failure of this year's harvest. The government is struggling to find the cash to pay public employees and, more importantly, soldiers at the end of this month.
Mugabe is also under growing pressure to install the new parliament which has yet to sit nearly four months after the election in which his Zanu-PF party lost its majority for the first time since independence in 1980. The ruling party's violence has targeted opposition MPs in recent weeks in what seems to be a strategy to prevent them from taking their seats by beating them up, forcing them in to hiding or arresting them on trumped-up charges. The rival claimants to victory in Zimbabwe's widely criticised presidential elections - Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai - hav... more -
Zimbabwe Rivals Sign Agreement
Zimbabwe’s feuding political leaders appeared jointly for the first time in years on Monday to sign a preliminary agreement laying out terms for negotiations to wrest their land out of political chaos.
The ceremony brought together President Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. News reports said the two men had not met for a decade, when Mr. Tsvangirai was a labor union leader before he emerged as the head of the main opposition group in 1999.
While the so-called Memorandum of Understanding was a modest step in light of Zimbabwe’s chaos and collapse, the sight of Mr. Mugabe in the same room as Mr. Tsvangirai seemed a dramatic departure from their land’s more usual images of political bloodletting, electoral rigging and economic ruin.
The two men did not shake hands, according to news reports.
The ceremony in a Harare hotel was overseen by Thabo Mbeki, the president of neighboring South Africa who labored for months as a mediator, defying critics who said his efforts merely gave Mr. Mugabe time to outwit his opponents. Mr. Mbeki sat between the two men as they signed, Reuters reported from Harare.
The agreement “commits the negotiating parties to an intense program of work to try and finalize negotiations as quickly as possible,” Mr. Mbeki said, without giving details.
Mr. Tsvangirai said the accord was “the first tentative step towards searching for a solution for a country that is in crisis.”
Mr. Tsvangirai had grown increasingly hostile to Mr. Mbeki’s mediation, saying the South African leader was biased in favor of Mr. Mugabe. But the mood shifted last week when Mr. Mbeki agreed to a role for the African Union, the United Nations and a 14-nation grouping of southern African nations.
The ceremony on Monday offered Mr. Mbeki some vindication for his efforts and provided ammunition to justify his resistance to demands by the United States and Britain for punitive sanctions against Mr. Mugabe and his close supporters.
Mr. Mbeki flew to Harare on Monday as word emerged of the agreement to sign a preliminary agreement setting out the framework for negotiating a substantive agreement.
In a telephone interview, Ronnie Mamoepa, the South African Foreign Ministry spokesman, called the occasion a “positive step forward in the ongoing dialogue.”
Analysts in Zimbabwe said the toughest issues would not be addressed until full negotiations got underway between deeply opposed and mutually hostile political figures seen by many analysts as unlikely partners in a power-sharing agreement of the kind that emerged earlier this year from Kenya’s post-election bloodletting.
Under that power-sharing arrangement the authorities created a post of prime minister for Raila Odinga, the main challenger to President Mwai Kibaki.
... Zimbabwe’s feuding political leaders appeared jointly for the first time in years on Monday to sign a preliminary agreement laying out... more -
Zimbabwe leaders close to signing 'deal'
After the catastrophic and extremely violent Zimbabwe elections which saw Robert Mugabe re-elected as the country's leader in a somewhat one-sided vote, the BBC is reporting that Zimbabwean leaders are 'close to a deal outlining a framework for talks on the country's political crisis.'
A UN envoy spokesperson has said that Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe are believed to have agreed a draft memorandum that could see the start of much needed crisis negotiations. The opposing leaders were due to sign the deal last week but Tsvangirai pulled out, due to continuing discrepancies about who rightfully won the country's elections. After the catastrophic and extremely violent Zimbabwe elections which saw Robert Mugabe re-elected as the country's leader in a s... more -
Diplomats aid Mbeki with Zimbabwe
A group of senior diplomats are to help South African President Thabo Mbeki in his efforts to solve Zimbabwe's political crisis.
Envoys will be drawn from the UN, African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).
The move was welcomed by Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been critical of Mr Mbeki.
Mr Tsvangirai is currently considering entering power-sharing talks with President Robert Mugabe.
Sydney Mufamadi, a close aide of Mr Mbeki, announced the creation of a "reference group" consisting of AU head Jean Ping, the UN's Zimbabwe envoy Haile Menkerios, and Sadc official George Chikoti. A group of senior diplomats are to help South African President Thabo Mbeki in his efforts to solve Zimbabwe's political crisis. ... more
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Morgan Tsvangirai
