Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) Govt to be formed soon 'without opposition'

Govt to be formed soon 'without opposition'
Ralph Mutema
Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:51:00 +0000

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has indicated that he will form a government soon but doubts that the Movement for Democratic Change will join in that government, according to reports from the capital.

He was quoted by The Herald as saying: "We shall soon be setting up a government. The MDC does not want to come in apparently."

President Mugabe was also very critical of his last Cabinet saying: "The Cabinet that I had was the worst in history. They (only) look at themselves, they are unreliable, but not all of them. The people are suffering..."

"This time they have been promised by the British that sanctions would be more devastating, that in six months’ time the Government will collapse."

"I do not know when that day will come. I wish Tsvangirai well on that day," the President told dignitaries who included traditional leaders, Government employees, business people and service chiefs during a luncheon to mark the opening of the Seventh Session of the Zimbabwean Parliament.

He said all ministers should take their roles seriously and those who owned businesses should employ people to do so urging them to spend time doing government work.

This news comes amidst claims by the new speaker of parliament that power-sharing talks are still taking place.

"The talks are on," Speaker Lovemore Moyo, an official in the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), told South Africa's Talk Radio 702.

Asked if parliament will continue to meet during the post-election negotiations, he said: "Certainly".

The MDC took a tough line last week saying it would boycott the swearing in and opening of parliament but later attended the two events with the latter being addressed by President Mugabe.

There was a deadlock in the all-party talks over how to share power and this has undermined hopes for an agreement that might allow Zimbabwe to form an all-inclusive government.

Tsvangirai earlier this week visited his ally, Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga and said disagreements between his party and Zanu PF had emerged over the amount of power afforded to the role of Prime Minister, which he would occupy in the new all-inclusive government.

Zim Guardian/The Herald

Labels: MUGABE, PARLIAMENT, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 5:12 PM