Earlier this month apower-sharing agreement was signed in Zimbabwe between the ruling Zanu-PF andopposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Under the deal, a newgovernment is to be formed with ministers from Both ZANU-PF and the MDC.However, follow?up talks to elect a power sharing cabinet have stalled.
In hisassessment of the current political mood in the country, John Makumbe,professor of political science at the University of Zimbabwe, Harare told VOA?sAkwei Thompson there is a feeling of disquiet and concern among the peopleamidst all the wrangling between the two parties.
?I thinkthere?s is a little bit of uneasiness. People are a bit tired of waiting andthey would like the new government to be put in place as soon as possible,?Makumbe said.
ProfessorMakumbe said it would take some hard bargaining among the parties to ?in factagree on identifying first of all which are the key ministries and thenallocate those key mninistries on pro rata basis ? on the basis of whatparliamentary representation each party has?.?
In themeantime Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has warned that Zimbabwe is facing ahumanitarian crisis in the coming months if a new power sharing government isnot formed soon.
ZANU-PF,however, appears to be trying to hold on to all the key ministries and to givethe MDC formation only the ?peripheral, only the minor or trivial ministries,?Makumbe noted. Makumbe feared that the talks may end bein mediated again bySADC
Hecharacterized President Mugabe?s recent appeal at the UN for the immediateremoval of sanctions which have brought ?untold suffering to his people, as hotair. He called for the sanctions to be tightened to ?encourage Mugabe andmotivate him to do the right thing.?