Morgan Tsvangirai: Fact File

• Tsvangirai sworn in as Prime Minister

• Mugabe, Tsvangirai 'get along' - Motlanthe

• Parliament approves Amendment 19

Posted to the web: 11/02/2009 10:23:12
ZIMBABWEAN opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as Prime Minister on Wednesday in a deal with old rival President Robert Mugabe.

Below are some facts about Tsvangirai.

* Tsvangirai is a former trade union leader of modest education who has been a thorn in President Robert Mugabe's side for a decade as the head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the main opposition party.

* The son of a bricklayer, Tsvangirai was born in 1952 in Gutu. He worked in a mine to feed his family and cut his political teeth in the labour movement as a mine foreman.

* Tsvangirai helped found the MDC in 1999. Despite intimidation, it stunned the ruling party by winning 57 of 120 seats in a 2000 parliamentary vote.

* Tsvangirai was acquitted of plotting to assassinate Mugabe and seize power before a 2002 presidential election.

* Mugabe's party won a crushing majority in a 2005 parliamentary election, which the MDC said was rigged.

* The MDC split in 2005 in a feud over how to tackle Mugabe. A splinter group accused Tsvangirai of behaving in a dictatorial fashion.

* Tsvangirai was arrested at an anti-Mugabe rally in 2007. He said he had been attacked at a police station. Critics said the incident helped revive his sagging political fortunes.

* Tsvangirai took first place in an election in March 2008, but without the absolute majority needed to avoid a second round. He boycotted the June 27 run-off citing attacks on his supporters. Mugabe's unopposed re-election was widely condemned.

* Tsvangirai and Mugabe signed a power-sharing agreement in September but implementation stalled over who got top posts. In January regional leaders reached breakthrough in negotiations on implementing the deal, and a few days later the opposition agreed to join the unity government.

* On February 11, 2008, Tsvangirai was sworn-in as Prime Minister
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com