The principals in Zimbabwe's uneasy national unity government have reached agreement on a number of issues troubling their partnership, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said Thursday on the eve of his 100th day in office, but some major questions remain unresolved.In particular, the deal leaves Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana in place contrary to Mr. Tsvangirai's wishes.
But the agreement is considered to give the "all-inclusive" government a new lease on life at a critical juncture, and the unresolved issues will be referred to African regional organizations for arbitration.
The centerpiece of the agreement reached earlier this week by Mr. Tsvangirai, President Robert Mugabe, and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara concerned redistribution of the governorships of the Southern African country's 10 provinces.
Five will go to Mr. Tsvangirai's formation of the Movement for Democratic Change, four to Mr. Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF, and one to the breakaway MDC formation headed by Mutambara.
The agreement settles another point of contention: former parliamentarian Roy Bennett, the treasurer of Mr. Tsvangirai's MDC formation, is to be sworn into office as deputy minister of agriculture on or before the day on which the new governors are sworn in.
Mr. Mugabe had refused to swear Bennett into office on grounds that the former farmer, arrested the same day the unity cabinet was sworn in Feb. 13, still faced charges related to an alleged - and largely debunked - 2006 plot to assassinate the president.
Most of the permanent secretaries appointed to ministries by Mr. Mugabe will remain in place - though Mr. Tsvangirai told reporters in a news conference that he intends to take steps to ensure that these key civil service positions are insulated from party politics.
On ambassadorial appointments, another "outstanding issue," Mr. Tsvangirai said candidates from the two MDC formations would receive diplomatic training, and that of the next five openings for envoys four would be filled from his party, one from Mutambara's party.
* VoA
