Zimbabwe's political rivals set to sign crisis deal

14 September, 2008

HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe's leaders are set to sign a historic deal Monday to divide power among political rivals after months of ruinous standoff between President Robert Mugabe and the opposition.

The deal comes as Zimbabwe buckles under an official inflation rate of 11.2 million percent, food shortages and widespread unemployment which have worsened in the country's ongoing political crisis.

There has also been concern over whether a deal between the rivals -- bitter opponents for years -- will be workable.

State media on Sunday reported that party leaders had agreed on a new government of 31 ministries to be formed after the official signing of the deal which was brokered last Thursday.

The Sunday Mail quoted justice minister and ruling ZANU-PF chief negotiator Patrick Chinamasa as saying: "The three parties met ... to discuss the nomenclature of the ministries.

"We are informed that they agreed on that (the new cabinet)."

Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe for nearly 30 years, Tsvangirai and the head of a smaller splinter opposition faction, Arthur Mutambara, met on Saturday, the newspaper said.

ZANU-PF's highest decision-making body, the politburo, also met and endorsed the formation of a new government, Chinamasa added.

An agreement reached late Thursday after four days of tough negotiations in Harare followed a stalemate between the 84-year-old Mugabe and Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The United States, European Union and former colonial power Britian reacted last week with caution, holding back comment until details about the new power-sharing arrangement were made available.

Details of the deal, brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki, are expected to be officially released at the ceremony in Harare on Monday which a number of African heads of state are expected to attend.

However, a source speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP on Friday that Mugabe will be president and head of state while Tsvangirai would be prime minister and head of the government with two deputies.

Mugabe will chair the cabinet and Tsvangirai will chair a council of ministers.

There will be 31 ministries split between ZANU-PF with 15, MDC-Tsvangirai with 13 and MDC-Mutambara with three, the source said.

Under the agreement, Tsvangirai would also preside over a national security council which includes both the army and police.

The opposition leader has in the past accused Mugabe of using the security services to target opponents.

Tsvangirai has himself survived a severe beating by the security forces and was detained several times ahead of a June presidential run-off election.

"Power will be shared, no one will get more power than the other party, even (in) the hiring and firing of cabinet members," the source explained.

"All decisions are made by the council, but the council will have to report back to Mugabe."

The veteran leader has led Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980, but his party lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in legislative elections in March.

Mugabe went on to hold a one-man presidential run-off in June, handing himself the presidency after Tsvangirai pulled out over what he said was state-sponsored violence being carried out against his supporters.

Once hailed as Africa's breadbasket, Zimbabwe's economy has virtually collapsed over the past decade with the annual inflation rate soaring officially to 11.2 million percent in June.