(TALKZIMBABWE) Inclusive Government illegitimate: Mugabe

Inclusive Government illegitimate: Mugabe
Posted by By Our reporter at 8 October, at 02 : 07 AM

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe on Thursday said Zimbabwe’s inclusive Government was illegitimate and needed to give way to an elected administration. He, however, said he could not determine when a fresh vote could be held.

President Mugabe has been pushing for a poll to end a power-sharing government he formed two years ago with MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, now prime minister, following the contentious 2008 elections.

Addressing Zanu-PF supporters in Harare, President Mugabe accused Tsvangirai and the MDC of “dragging their feet” and delaying he writing of a new Zimbabwe constitution, a key step before any new elections are held.


“Those riding on the chariot of this creature (inclusive Government) and enjoying it don’t want the pleasure to go,” President Mugabe said.

“It is an illegitimate one because it’s a political creature not really born out of the wishes of the people but the wishes of the parties to create a transition to elections.”

While expressing his frustration at ideological and policy differences within the inclusive Government, President Mugabe said the timing of a fresh vote was not entirely in his hands.

“I am sorry we have not been in control of the mechanisms, mechanisms that we thought would lay the road to an election this year in terms of our decision taken at our last conference in Mutare (last December),” he said.

“The constitution-making process has been moving at a tortoise’s pace.”

Zanu-PF declared President Mugabe its presidential candidate at a party conference last December and resolved to push for elections this year.

However, the MDC-T, backed by regional leaders, has insisted on the completion of constitutional and other political reforms before a new vote.

In September, President Mugabe vowed to call an election by March 2012, despite possible objections from his inclusive Government partners.

Elections are due in 2013 but President Mugabe says the inclusive Government ran its course last February.