Harare - Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party cabinet ministers stormed out of a meeting on Sunday to appraise the work of Zimbabwe’s government since its formation, in protest over remarks Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara made that last year’s elections were rigged.
"We, members from the Zanu-PF side, walked out in protest at the reckless and irresponsible utterances by Professor Mutambara because they are intended at undermining the legitimacy of a party in the inclusive government," Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said.
Chinamasa said Mutambara’s comments had angered the angered the Zanu-PF camp, prompting them to abort the retreat held in the holiday resort town of Nyanga in the country’s eastern Highlands.
Mutambara is the leader of a breakaway formation of the MDC who entered into the current unity agreement with Tsvangirai and Mugabe in February this year.
This weekend's convention was meant to discuss the new government's economic programmes and the progress it had already made six months after its formation. Prime Minister Tsvangirai, head of the main Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) wing chaired the meeting which began on Saturday.
Analysts say the action by Mugabe’s group is an indication of escalating tensions that threaten to ruin the volatile coalition government.
"The meetings were going on very well until this morning when Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara made some very provocative statements that the parliamentary and presidential elections of last year were all fraudulent, null and void," said Chinamasa
Mugabe ‘s allies are said to be adamantly opposed to the economic and political reforms that donors have prescribed before they could chip in with direct financial assistance to help revive Zimbabwe’s ailing economy, as most of them could be answerable to crimes against humanity under a new democratic government .MDC are also objective to certain policies and appointments Mugabe has unilaterally made in contravention of the pact.
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