Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai has denied being offered the post of vice-president in a new government led by President Robert Mugabe. Mr Tsvangirai, who lost to Mr Mugabe in July’s election, has refused to recognise Mr Mugabe’s victory on grounds that the election was a "monumental fraud". The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and African Union both approved the outcome of the July 31 election in which Mr Mugabe won 61% of votes against Mr Tsvangirai’s 33% of the 3.4-million ballots cast. After assuming a seventh consecutive term in office last week, Mr Mugabe is expected next Tuesday to swear in 270 MPs drawn from both his Zanu (PF) party and the MDC, and thereafter announce a cabinet. In his inaugural speech, Mr Mugabe hinted at the mandate that his new cabinet would have, including pursuing agriculture-friendly policies to support the rise of black farmers and spearheading the 51% indigenisation programme, which he said "is our chosen path of development". Media reports on Thursday indicated that Mr Mugabe was agonising over his choice for the cabinet and had secretly approached Mr Tsvangirai with an offer to take up the vacant vice-presidency post — stalling the announcement of a cabinet. Former vice-president John Nkomo died in January. Mr Tsvangirai issued a statement denying the reports that he had been involved in secret talks. "I am aware of reports circulating that I have been offered a post as vice-president in a new cabinet. Those reports are false," he said. "The fact is I am not talking to anyone about the possibility of joining a government which the majority of Zimbabweans consider as illegitimate," Mr Tsvangirai said. The MDC’s national organising secretary, Nelson Chamisa, dismissed the speculation as "pub talk" and "things that people say while riding on commuter omnibuses". "Mr Mugabe did not offer Mr Tsvangirai the VP post," Mr Chamisa said. Political observers said such an offer by Mr Mugabe to Mr Tsvangirai was a "high risk" that Zanu (PF) could not afford. "What they may do is propose an amendment to the constitution to re-create the prime minister’s position and then offer him that," International Crisis Group analyst Trevor Maisiri said. He said the post of vice-president was "too close to power succession" and Zanu (PF) would not want Mr Tsvangirai to "lurk" anywhere that could hint at "even the remotest possibility of his ascendancy to presidency". "If he becomes vice-president, natural circumstances can at any time create serial vacancies in the presidium and, should that happen successively and frequently, and with Mr Tsvangirai as vice-president, it nudges him closer to the unthinkable and raises the possibility of him becoming president at some point." Mr Tsvangirai, meanwhile, on Thursday began a tour of party provinces and held closed-door meetings in Gweru and Bulawayo with MDC provincial executives. It is understood that while the MDC will boycott some arms of government, it is seeking to cement its influence in city councils where it was victorious in elections, and so prove its worth to voters ahead of the next election, in 2018. A showdown is already looming over the MDC’s drive into the city councils and unilateral appointment of mayors, a move that Ignatius Chombo, the outgoing urban and local government minister, has vowed to block.
Posted on: Sat, 31 Aug 2013 14:51:20 +0000
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