The Zimbabwe prime minister’s party said on Friday one of its major differences with longtime ruler President Robert Mugabe over sharing the key posts of 10 provincial governors was still in dispute ahead of a summit of regional leaders.
Nelson Chamisa, spokesperson for the former opposition group, said on Friday that party leaders in the nation’s coalition had agreed to share the influential posts with five going to the former opposition party of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, four to Mugabe’s party and one going to a small breakaway former opposition faction.
He said the formula of 5-4-1 was in accordance with the terms of an agreement between party leaders to share official posts after disputed elections in 2008.
However Chamisa said Mugabe was still holding out on the removal of the 10 provincial governors from his Zanu-PF whose terms of office expire on August 24.
“The governors issue has yet to be resolved. There is a general agreement … but Mugabe is refusing to implement it,” he told the Associated Press.
Earlier reports on Friday said the deal was resolved and Mugabe was expected to swear in new governors after August 24. He was also expected to cite the appointments at the Southern African Development Community summit in Namibia on Monday to show that Zimbabwe’s shaky coalition deal, mediated by regional leaders, was on track. – Sapa-AP