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Zimbabwe

President and opposition leader sign power-sharing deal

Article published on the 2008-09-15 Latest update 2008-09-16 07:05 TU

Robert Mugabe (l), Thabo Mbeki (c) and Morgan Tsvangirai(Photos: AFP/Reuters)

Robert Mugabe (l), Thabo Mbeki (c) and Morgan Tsvangirai
(Photos: AFP/Reuters)

The two rivals, President Robert Mugabe and the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Morgan Tsvangirai, smiled and shook hands at a signing ceremony as regional leaders looked on. The landmark accord will see the Zanu-PF and the MDC working together for the first time.

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South African President Thabo Mbeki, who brokered the agreement, said the government line-up was not yet finalised.

African Union Chairman and President of Tanzania Jakaya Kikwete described the accord as "the beginning of a new dawn".

The agreement breaks a month of deadlocked negotiations on a power-sharing government. Under the deal, Mugabe remains president and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai becomes Prime Minister.

President Mugabe said Monday he was committed to working with Morgan Tsvangirai in a new power-sharing government .

In his first address as Prime Minister, Tsvangirai called on Zanu-PF and the MDC to work together to unite the country.

Media reports say the president will remain in control of the armed forces, while the police and secret services will be the responsibility of the Prime Minister. 

"There is power on both sides of the political divide and that's for the first time since the MDC came onto the political scene," correspondent Ryan Truscott told RFI.

Interview: Correspondent Ryan Truscott

 
 

15/09/2008 by Chris Thompson

Western countries including the United States and Britain have cautiously welcomed the accord.

European foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday said the EU would wait for what they called "concrete" measures to restore democracy, before sending economic aid to the new unity government. The EU foreign ministers say they will reconsider the economic sanctions in place, at their meeting next month.

After a decade of political conflict, the country suffers the highest inflation rate in the world, severe foreign currency and food shortages, soaring unemployment and widespread hunger.