Tsvangirai Accepts to Take Office as Prime Minister in Zimbabwe
HARARE (The Somaliland Globe) – Wednesday, 11 Feb 2009 – After a long dispute, Zimbabwe’s opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai has taken office as Prime Minister today on a power-sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe.
The two agreed to share power last year to end political deadlock, but their disagreements on how government departments are divided have raised questions over how well they can work together to rescue the devastated southern African country.
Tsvangirai who is 56 took the oath of office administered by Mugabe at a ceremony in Harare. He won a first round presidential poll against Mugabe last year but boycotted a subsequent run-off over electoral violence.
Morgan Tsvangirai swon in as PM
The move has been hailed by many Zimbabweans as a major step towards resolving the country’s economic disaster, which has brought untold hardships to Zimbabwe citizens.
Today’s swearing-in paves way for a Zimbabwe unity government when cabinet nominees take their oaths of office on Friday.
Implementation of the power-sharing deal only came after increased pressure from Southern African countries, fearing a total meltdown in once-prosperous Zimbabwe.
Mugabe has been in power in Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980 and he is one of Africa’s craftiest political operators. Tsvangirai is a former trade union leader known for fiery speeches, but his leadership skills in government remain untested.
Zimbabweans hope the new government will bring policies to revive a country suffering hyperinflation, unemployment above 90 percent, food shortages and a cholera epidemic that has killed nearly 3,500 people.
Regional leaders revived a power-sharing agreement signed last year between the ruling party ZANU-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. The deal resolves the disagreements in the distribution of ministerial appointments between the ruling and opposition parties.
Comments are closed.