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Zimbabwe's opposition said on Wednesday it will not join any new government with President Robert Mugabe until power-sharing talks are concluded. This was after the 84-year-old declared he would name his own Cabinet.
The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) described Mugabe's intention to form a government, regardless of the opposition, as "a declaration of war against the people".
Mugabe's move leaves the power-sharing negotiations -- stalled for the past two weeks -- in tatters, and outlines the scale of the task facing mediator Thabo Mbeki, the South African President, to get them back on track.
Mugabe spoke at a lunch on Tuesday after the opening of Parliament, when he was still apparently rattled by the jeers with which the opposition drowned out his ceremonial opening speech.
"We shall soon be setting up a government. The MDC does not want to come in apparently," the government newspaper, the Herald, quoted him as saying.
"This time they have been promised by the British that sanctions would be more devastating, that in six months' time the government will collapse," Mugabe told the lunch.
"I do not know when that day will come. I wish [MDC leader Morgan] Tsvangirai well on that day," Mugabe added.
The comments drew an angry response from the both factions of the opposition.
"It's very clear that if he announces the new Cabinet it's a declaration of war against the people. You can't just have a Cabinet without a mandate," MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said.
'The talks are on'
Chamisa accused Mugabe of trying to "hijack the leadership" of Zimbabwe and said the veteran leader was trying to ride roughshod over his political opponents.
"He should wait for the conclusion of the dialogue together with the MDC, and Mr Tsvangirai, on the way forward. Otherwise what he is doing is a recipe for disaster."
Chamisa said the talks remained stalled and appealed to Mbeki and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which appointed Mbeki mediator, to urgently intervene as Zimbabwe was "sliding and gliding into anarchy".
"The talks have not been formally terminated so the natural conclusion is that the talks are on," Chamisa said.
"But there hasn't been any formal communication from SADC, from President Mbeki, to say this is the way forward."
Edwin Mushoriwa, spokesperson for the smaller MDC faction with whom Mugabe's Zanu-PF party could conceivably form a majority in Parliament, said it would not join a Mugabe government.
"We are actually looking forward to the conclusion of the dialogue when Mugabe and Tsvangirai form a transitional government," Mushoriwa said.
On Wednesday, police were still holding five MDC deputies in custody following their arrest this week, and a bid by the opposition's number two, Tendai Biti, to dismiss treason charges brought ahead of the presidential run-off vote in June, was postponed.
Mugabe had on Tuesday faced a hostile Parliament for the first time in his 28-year rule, as the opposition majority booed, heckled and sung through his speech.
"Zanu is rotten" chanted MDC deputies, who hold 100 seats to the once all-powerful Zanu-PF's 99 following the March general election. A breakaway opposition faction holds 10 seats, with one independent making up the 210-seat assembly.
The opposition denounced the opening of Parliament as meaningless, saying it violated a deal signed in July ahead of the power-sharing talks. -- AFP
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I respect the current government for the achievements during the eighties and nineties but at the moment guys THE FREEDOM YOU FOUGHT FOR THE ZIMBABWEAN PEOPLE DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO RUIN THE ECONOMY, DEVIDE THE COUNTRY. I THINK IT IS HIGH TIME TO STOP PLAYING GOD AND NEGOTIATE. NDIWE ANI UNOPIKA KUTI TSVANGIRAI HAATONGE ZIMBABWE. REMEMBER YOU WERE PUT UP THERE BY THE PEOPLE. TINODA RUNYARARO ISU NEKUBUDIRIRA AND BOTH PARTIES CHANGE YOUR SLOGANS FROM PASI NANHINGI. IT IS A RIGHT IN A FREE COUNTRY TO SUPPORT A POLITICAL PARTY OF YOU CHOICE WEATHER MDC OR ZANU. REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED IN GHANA (JERRY'S RISE TO POWER) IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH TO STAND UP FOR YOU WITH THE CRUELITY AND MIGHT AS YOU. IT WILL BE HELPFUL TO AGREE TO A POLITICAL DEAL NOW. LET’S ADMIRE TSVANGIRAI AND OTHER OPPOSITION PARTIES THEY WANT A DEMOCRATIC WAY TO SHARE POWER. ITS SAD WE FORGET THE HISTORY OF OUR AFRICAN BOTHERS, MAt*aNGA IN MOZA, IN ANGOLA, CHARLES DOE IN LIBERIA, MOBUTO ETC NOONE IS IMm*rTAL LETS TALK AND STOP FIGHTING AS ZIMBABWEANS. WE ARE WEAKENING OUR COUNTRY. DONT YOU THINK IN THE NEAR FUTURE WE WILL EXCHANGE OUR MINERALS FOR JUST FOOD NEKUTI VANA VEDU TAVASIIRA NZARA. IT IS FACT SEKURU BOB HAVARAME AT LEAST 15 YEARS FROM NOW NGUVA YAMWARI ICHAVADAIDZA. PEOPLE ARE EXTERNALISING FUNDS BUT REMEMBER MARI INONAKA URIMUNYIKA MAKO IF YOU ARE A FOREIGNER YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A FOREIGNER. HAZVINZWISE TSITSI HERE KUTI VANA VENYU MA POLITICAL IMMIGRANTS ALL OVER THE WORLD. GUYS GET A DEAL NOW PLEASE.