Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has handed three important government ministries to his ruling party in a move the opposition said threw a power-sharing deal into jeopardy.
A government notice said today that Mugabe's Zanu-PF party would take charge of defence, home affairs, which is in charge of the police, and finance, a portfolio crucial to the resuscitation of Zimbabwe's devastated economy.
Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had failed to agree on the allocation of the powerful ministries.
The MDC said the move threatened the power-sharing deal agreed with Mugabe on September 15th.
"This is Zanu-PF's arrogant wish list that puts the whole deal into jeopardy. It is unilateral, contemptuous and outrageous," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said.
"Just yesterday we agreed to call in the facilitator Thabo Mbeki because there was a deadlock. The MDC totally and absolutely rejects this nonsense."
Mr Mbeki's spokesman said he would travel to Harare on Monday.
The official Heraldnewspaper said no cabinet appointments would be made before Mr Mbeki returns to Zimbabwe but added there was disagreement only over the Ministry of Finance. But Mr Chamisa dismissed this as propaganda.
Mr Tsvangirai is set to hold a political rally in Harare on Sunday where he is expected to make his first public comments on Mugabe's move.
Mugabe's move follows a meeting with Mr Tsvangirai during which they agreed to call Mbeki, former South African President and talks facilitator, after a deadlock on the allocation.
The power-sharing deal allows,Mugabe, in power since Zimbabwe's independence from Britain in 1980, to retain the presidency and chair the cabinet while Mr Tsvangirai as prime minister would head a council of ministers supervising the cabinet
Reuters