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ZIMBABWE: Devil in the detail

HARARE, 10 February 2009 (IRIN) - Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), says he has managed to win key concessions from President Robert Mugabe ahead of being sworn into office as Prime Minister on 11 February.

Speaking in the capital, Harare, after he announced his ministerial nominees to a government of national unity, Tsvangirai said most of the issues that had stalled a power-sharing administration were being finalised.

MDC demands ahead of the formation of a new government included the following:

- Fair distribution of provincial governors
- Release of journalists and human rights activists detained on allegations of banditry
- Equitable distribution of key ministries
- Enactment of the National Security Council Law to replace the military-dominated Joint Operations Command
- Effect Constitutional Amendment 19, legalising Tsvangirai's appointment
- Review the appointments of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor and the attorney general.

Tsvangirai said out of the 10 provincial governors, his party would be awarded five, based on the provinces where MDC registered a majority in the March 2008 elections.

"We are going to get five governors out of all the 10 and the issue is just being finalised. On the issue of detained activists, we are working very hard to ensure that they are released before the swearing into office,” Tsvangirai said.

Parliament has already passed Constitutional Amendment 19, which awaits the signature of Mugabe, while the National Security Council Bill is before parliament. Tsvangirai will become a member of the council, which will oversee the operations of security forces that over the years have been accused of terrorising opposition supporters.

However, Mugabe has refused to yield on his control of the key ministries of defence, justice, foreign affairs, information and local government. He said outstanding issues like the appointments of the RBZ governor and attorney general would be discussed when the MDC is in government.

Among Tsvangirai’s cabinet nominees is MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti as finance minister. Giles Mutsekwa, a former pre-independence Rhodesian soldier, has controversially been named to co-lead the ministry of home affairs. One MDC official described it as “waiving a red flag at ZANU” and unnecessarily provocative.

Tension is also simmering after Tsvangirai failed to name any MDC MPs from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second city, for cabinet positions. They won Bulawayo for Tsvangirai, beating off the challenge of the breakaway MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara, who is to be appointed deputy prime minister under the terms of the power-sharing agreement.

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Copyright © IRIN 2009
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