Support The Moscow Times!

Mugabe May Try to Rule Alone

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe will form a new government soon, but he says the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change does not want to join, state media reported Wednesday.

Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC have failed to reach agreement in over one month of post-election power-sharing negotiations aimed at ending a political crisis that has worsened Zimbabwe's devastating economic decline.

"We shall soon be setting up a government. The MDC does not want to come in apparently," state-owned newspaper The Herald quoted Mugabe as telling government officials on Tuesday after opening the parliament.

Mugabe, who was booed and jeered by opposition members when he opened the assembly, has said he is still hopeful of agreement in the power-sharing talks.

The MDC said it remained committed to talks but the party insisted on an inclusive government.

"We remain committed to a dialogue process that is going to produce an acceptable outcome for all the players, an inclusive government. We are against this unilateralism and arrogance," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said.

New parliament speaker Lovemore Moyo, from the MDC, said talks were continuing. He said the heckling of Mugabe in the parliament was regrettable but reflected MDC frustrations over the political deadlock in the country.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more