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(TALKZIMBABWE) Leave president out of MDC squabbles: Charamba

Leave president out of MDC squabbles: Charamba
By: The Herald-TZG
Posted: Wednesday, February 2, 2011 12:41 pm

MDC should settle its internal problems and stop smearing President Mugabe with its party politics arising from last month’s contentious congress, Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba has said. He said the president would not abuse powers vested in him to resolve party squabbles.

New MDC leader Welshman Ncube wants to be installed as Deputy Prime Minister in the inclusive Government, recalling present incumbent DPM Arthur Mutambara to the party. President Mugabehas indicated that he could not fire DPM Mutambara, saying the former MDC leader could only leave office on resigning.

Charamba said there were legal issues that made it difficult for the President to simply swear into office Prof Ncube as DPM.

He said Prof Ncube and his MDC party should convince DPM Mutambara to agree to be re-deployed as an ordinary minister or to leave Government all together.

“It is not the business of the President to use his powers as an appointing authority to resolve the problems of a political party.

“Welshman Ncube must deal with the political problem in MDC arising from that party’s just-ended congress.

“That congress yielded a contested leadership and that is not President Mugabe’s problem. That congress yielded a contested recommendation to the Head of State and Government and again that is not President Mugabe’s problem.

“Ncube cannot draw a comparison between the straightforward recommendations that the President got from MDC-T and his messy submission to the President.

“There are legal issues in the MDC case and it is not the business of the President to get entangled in them, let alone compound them, by simply obliging to a flawed request for fear of being labelled a tribalist.

“As a lawyer Welshman must know that,” he said.

Charamba said Prof Ncube had arm-twisted Copac into kicking out MDC members who opposed his assumption of power to satisfy his political interests and he should not expect every institution to similarly bend to his will.

He said MDC members in Copac participated in the constitution-making process of their own volition after signing individual contracts.

“You don’t bring dirty political hands for the President to wash them,” added Charamba.

Prof Ncube last week announced that they wanted DPM Mutambara redeployed as Regional Integration and International Co-operation Minister with the new MDC leader taking over as DPM.

Prof Ncube is presently Industry and Trade Minister and he said Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga would take over his brief.

She is the Minister of Regional Integration and new MDC secretary-general.

However, President Mugabe, as the appointing authority, has the sole prerogative to appoint or fire any Cabinet member. This means MDC can only make recommendations, but not State appointments.

Labels: GEORGE CHARAMBA, MDC, WELSHMAN NCUBE

posted by MrK @ 8:44 PM