Radio Voice of the People
13 August 2008
HARARE, August 13 2008 – Seven Members of Parliament (MPs) aligned to the Mutambara led Movement for Democratic Change on Tuesday reportedly threatened to leave the faction if their leadership signed a deal with President Robert Mugabe.
MP for Mangwe, Edward Tshotsho Mkhosi, is said to have told the Zimbabwe Metro that he would quit if Mutambara hopped into bed with Mugabe.
“No I will not watch history being repeated,we have seen ZANU PF’s strategy of divide and rule in the past and this time it will not work,not this time,” said Mkhosi.
Another MP for Nkayi South, Abednico Bhebe, told the Telegraph that he would would not agree to such an agreement. “â€If this has happened I don’t agree. This will be disastrous. None of us will go with him. He would be committing political suicide.â€
Senator David Coltart, Khumalo, also said he would not agrre to a deal betwwen his party’s leadership and expressed ‘doubt the majority of our executive would support that decision.â€
Four other unnamed MPs have reportedly voiced their displeasure with the leadership’s decision.
Mutambara and Ncube lost parliament bids in Zengeza West and Makokoba respectively, to candidates from the faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai. Reports indicate that the Mutambara faction pushed for an amendment of No. 19 during the talks, so as increase appointed senators from five to 21.
South African President Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday confirmed that Mugabe had agreed a power-sharing deal with a breakaway opposition faction on Tuesday, but has yet to agree with main rival Morgan Tsvangirai.
A state controlled Herald report also confirmed the signing of an agreement by Mugabe and Mutambara on Tuesday, which it said would pave the way for Mugabe to form the next government.
“Although MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai did not sign, it was expected that negotiations would continue until he appended his signature to the agreement,” said the Herald.
Mbeki, mediating in talks to end the political and economic crisis paralysing Zimbabwe, said negotiations had not broken down and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Tsvangirai was still considering his position.
Talks on power-sharing began last month after Mugabe’s unopposed re-election in a vote that was condemned around the world and boycotted by Tsvangirai because of attacks on his supporters.
But three days of meetings in Harare have failed to reach an overall deal. The ZANU-PF official said Mugabe, in power since 1980, would form a national unity government and convene parliament next week.
Mutambara’s 10 seats would give the coalition the majority in parliament that ZANU-PF lost in March elections for the first time since independence, but analysts say excluding Tsvangirai would be unlikely to heal the deep rift in the southern African country.