Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front has accused Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change of reneging on a commitment to persuade the U.S. and European Union to lift travel bans and asset freezes against party leaders.
“The Politburo has told Zanu-PF’s negotiators to make no concessions with the Movement for Democratic Change until sanctions are lifted,” party spokesman Timothy Masawi said today in a telephone interview from Harare, the capital.
Zanu-PF and two factions of the MDC formed a power-sharing government last year in a bid to end a decade of economic and political crises. The parties have been negotiating for the past two weeks on “outstanding issues” such as the appointment of senior civil servants.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa didn’t immediately answer calls seeking comment today.
The impasse has frustrated regional mediators and dissuaded Western donors from helping to rebuild the nation’s shattered economy.
Tsvangirai’s MDC wants Mugabe to fire central bank Governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana, saying their appointments were unconstitutional.
Regional Governors
The MDC is also demanding the power to appoint some regional governors and wants Mugabe to swear in Roy Bennett, currently on trial for terrorism-related charges, as deputy agriculture minister.
The establishment of the unity government in February followed a decade of recession and political turmoil, which slashed exports, pushed inflation to a record and drove millions of Zimbabweans into exile in neighboring countries.
Zimbabwe’s economic decline has been stemmed since the MDC assumed control over most key economic posts. The Finance Ministry said it expects growth to accelerate to 7 percent this year, from about 4.7 percent last year.
To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Latham in Durban at blatham@bloomberg.net.
