Harare
22 October 2008
Zimbabwe Prime Minister-Designate Morgan Tsvangirai says he may not take part in Monday's planned summit of southern African leaders to resume Zimbabwe crisis talks. Peta Thornycroft reports for VOA from Harare the MDC says the government of President Robert Mugabe has not honored several articles in the power-sharing agreement signed last month.
Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change says political events in Zimbabwe illustrate that the ZANU-PF party of President Robert Mugabe is not committed to genuine power sharing.
The MDC statement cites as examples, the continued dominance by ZANU-PF of the sate media, Mr. Mugabe's unilateral appointment of ZANU-PF personnel to all the country's provincial governors positions, and Mr. Tsvangirai's lack of a passport.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said because the government had not issued Mr. Tsvangirai a passport, he was a prisoner in his own country.
Southern African leaders meeting Monday in Swaziland set a new round of talks after Mr. Tsvangirai refused to travel to Mbabane because he did not have a passport.
The government issued an emergency travel document the night before he was due to travel, valid for only three days and also only valid for South Africa and Swaziland. He was given no visa to enter South Africa.
Mr. Tsvangirai was appointed prime minister-designate of Zimbabwe as part of a power-sharing accord he signed last month with President Mugabe and the head of a small opposition group, Arthur Mutambara.
His party has since said that the question of whether the MDC would participate in the Harare talks is still being debated by the party.
Mr. Tsvangirai also says he has not been granted enough important cabinet positions. In particular, Mr. Tsvangirai wants the home affairs ministry, which runs the police, and the finance ministry. Mr. Mugabe was given control of the army and the powerful intelligence services.
Mr. Tsvangirai has held several well attended rallies during the past two weeks in his urban strongholds of Harare, the second city Bulawayo, and Masvingo in southeastern Zimbabwe. Mr. Mugabe's Zanu-PF has not been holding any public rallies.