Zimbabwe MPs to be sworn in by Tuesday

Zimbabwe MPs to be sworn in by Tuesday

ZIMBABWE'S Parliament Building

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ZIMBABWE'S parliament will convene next week for the first time since President Robert Mugabe lost his majority in March elections, an official said Tuesday.

"The swearing in would take place on Monday or Tuesday to enable new legislators to execute (the) mandate they were given by the people," parliamentary clerk Austin Zvoma told state television channel ZBC.

"The preparations for the swearing in of members of the seventh parliament (since independence) are at an advanced stage."

Zvoma was speaking in the local language Shona, with English voice-over provided.

The formation of a government cabinet is expected to follow the reconvening of the parliament in accordance with the country's constitution.

Mugabe's ruling Zanu PF party lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since independence in 1980 in March elections.

The legislative election saw the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) taking 109 seats against 97 for Mugabe's party.

But the main MDC, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, depends on the support of a rival faction led by Arthur Mutambara who state media reported had reached some understanding with Mugabe last week.

Tsvangirai also beat Mugabe in simultaneous presidential elections in March but fell short of an overall majority needed to avoid a second round which Mugabe claimed after a presidential run-off in June, boycotted by Tsvangirai.

A summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) held at the weekend in Johannesburg failed to clinch a deal between the feuding parties on the crucial issue of who should hold executive power in Zimbabwe.

The SADC leaders said Zimbabwe's parliament may need to be convened while negotiations continued "to give effect to the will of the people" expressed in March.

Tsvangirai said Tuesday: "Let Parliament be reconvened. As far as we are concerned we don't see anything wrong with that. It will have no effect. Parliament is an expression of the will of the people, but Cabinet is another thing."

Negotiations between Zanu PF and the opposition on power-sharing remained suspended on Tuesday, the mediation and opposition said.

The South African presidency, which is mediating the talks, told AFP Tuesday that it neither knew the date for the resumption of talks nor when President Thabo Mbeki would visit Harare. - AFP
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