THE Movement for Democratic Change has said its former president, Professor Arthur Mutambara will stay on as deputy prime minister in the coalition government after being ousted as party leader.

The party, which split from the mainstream MDC led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in 2005, elected Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube as its new president on Saturday.

Ncube said the party leadership change wouldn’t affect government positions.

“The current deployments in government remain as they are, with him as deputy prime minister,” Ncube told reporters at a news conference on Sunday. “We’re happy with his position.”

Ncube reiterated his earlier call that general elections should only be held in 2013.

He said his party was opposed to national elections taking place this year before political and constitutional reforms agreed between President Robert Mugabe and the former opposition under an accord that created the coalition government are implemented.

“In terms of the laws of this country, an election is only due in June 2013,” Ncube said. “We must first implement the political agreement to the fullest extent possible to create conditions for an election whose outcome is uncontestable.”

Apparently frustrated by the unending disputes in the coalition government President Mugabe had insisted that general elections must be held by June to elect a new administration.

However recent state media reports suggested that the polls might be held off to allow the ongoing constitutional reforms to be completed.