Published by the government of Zimbabwe
14 October 2008
Harare — MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai has got a deal as good as - if not better than - his Kenyan confidante Prime Minister Raila Odinga following the gazetting of Cabinet ministry allocations last week, an analysis of the political settlements in the two countries reveals.
Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki entered into a power-sharing agreement with Odinga following widespread post-election violence, believed to have been ignited by the opposition, that claimed around 2 000 lives.
Odinga's party, the Orange Democratic Movement, won 111 seats in parliament to the 109 won by the Party of National Unity led by President Kibaki.
One seat went to an independent candidate.
The resultant political settlement saw the creation of the posts of Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to accommodate the ODM leadership.
President Kibaki's PNU also got one Deputy Prime Minister in addition to retaining the post of Vice President.
Odinga's ODM was allocated 20 cabinet posts compared to the PNU's 22 ministerial positions.
According to the broad-based agreement signed between President Mugabe, Tsvangirai and MDC leader Arthur Mutambara, there shall be a Prime Minister and two Deputy Prime Ministers drawn from both opposition parties.
In last week's Government Gazette, Zanu-PF was allocated 15 ministries, MDC-T 13 and the MDC three to reflect the distribution of the popular vote on March 29.
However, it is the nature of the posts allocated that indicates that Tsvangirai's party has received a deal as good as, if not better than Odinga's whom he has been in close contact with since the post-election inter-party dialogue in Zimbabwe started.
As in Zimbabwe, the party of the President was given oversight of ministries like defence, internal security (home affairs), foreign affairs, finance, information, transport, environment, gender and youth.
Odinga's party was allocated ministries like agriculture, public service, industrialisation, water and a number of economy-related portfolios.
Interestingly, during the Sadc Summit in South Africa in August this year, Odinga reportedly impressed on Tsvangirai to accept the deal that was on the table because it was "better than anything that he got in Kenya".
An analyst who spoke to The Herald said: "The fact is that the opposition here was in close liaison with the Kenyan prime minister and many people were trying to use the Kenyan settlement as a model for Zimbabwe.
"If we are to go by that, there should be no question marks about why Zanu-PF got the ministries it received, such as defence and foreign affairs and all the other ones because that is what essentially happened in Kenya.
"People said the Kenyan model was good and I would like to believe that here in Zimbabwe we have bettered it.
"There can never be a perfect agreement, but there certainly can be a better one and this is a good deal for all the parties involved.
"Odinga has a parliamentary majority, he allowed or perhaps even encouraged his supporters to go on a rampage and in the chaos that ensued over 2 000 people were murdered.
"But even after all that he still has less cabinet seats than those accorded to the president's party, the PNU.
"In Zimbabwe," the analyst said, "Tsvangirai does not have the popular vote that Odinga had. In addition to this, Zanu-PF has the June 27 result backing them," he said.
"Furthermore, with all due respect to Kenya and in recognition of the different styles of governing and administration in different countries, here you do not get vaguely named ministries like 'Planning' and 'Medical Services' being given to the opposition. Instead they get things like 'State Enterprises' and 'Health'."
It was also pointed out that President Mugabe was empowered by both the Constitution and the broad-based agreement to announce the allocation of ministries.
"Both the Constitution and the agreement are clear. That is why today (yesterday), President Mugabe appointed and took the oaths of office of the two Vice Presidents.
"There is nothing in either document that strips him of this executive function.
"The agreement itself makes it clear that the President shall allocate and appoint ministers after consultation with the parties. There is nothing that says he does this in consultation with them.
"The difference between saying 'after consultations with' and saying 'in consultation with' is that the former gives space for dialogue while the latter demands a consensual position.
"None of the parties signed any document demanding an outright consensus for the President to do what he has done.
"It is an executive function vested in him by the Constitution of Zimbabwe and given added contemporary weight by the agreement that the three parties signed," the analyst said.
Section 31(d) subsection 1, Section 31(g) subsection 1 and Section 31(h) subsection 5 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe vest the authority to appoint Vice Presidents and to create and allocate ministries and the posts of deputy ministers in the President.
As such, at present President Mugabe can appoint a Prime Minister and his deputies as these posts are technically ministerial ones.
Following the 1987 Unity Accord, the bureaucracy had office bearers referred to as senior ministers even though the Constitution did not make provision for such titles.
In the present case, however, the parties are expected to formally create the appropriate structures through Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 19) in Parliament.
Section (L) of the Functions and Powers of the President outlined in the broad-based agreement states that the President, as Head of State shall, after consultations with the Vice Presidents, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Ministers, allocate ministerial portfolios.
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The author is clearly an idiot. Tsvangarai clearly got more votes from the fearfull people of Zimbabwe than Mugabe, so a true result should leave Tsvangarai in power. Instead the Butcher of Harare sits on his corrupt blood soaked throne.
What a noble lesson to teach our children.
That in life it doesnt matter if you loose, as long as you are big and strong enough to beat people into proclaiming you the winner after the race.
That in life, even if you are the winner as we were in the Liberation War, every time you have the chance occasion to sit at the same table as your former opponent (the Breeteesh),you should still feel threatened and uneasy.
That you can ask a freind to lend you money (like we did the IMF(, and then when he stops lending you money anymore because you have failed to repay, (read:- decreased state revenue cause by disasterous land reform)you cry foul. AKA SANCTIONS.
Why do we keep making fools of ourselves in this part of the world.
I agree that this is a pathetic analysis and the Herald editor should feel ashamed to carry such. Kenya's economic and social situation under Kibaki is nowhere as desperate as Zimbabwe's under Mugabe and therefore what Kibaki kept cannot be compared to what Mugabe should keep. If Mugabe was a statemen who thinks of the next generation he would not be playing games but going for a power sharing formula that resolves the desperate economic situation.
awt longtime my brother from the other mother. It appears you will never accept the tide in Zimbabwe.Mugabe is going nowhere.I am sure you are really disappointed by the developments.Good luck and keep on fighting for your so called democracy in Zimbabwe.Maybe one day your wish will come true.Long live AWT&Co.
Welcome back to you bomber. Been off beating raping and torturing your fello Zimbo's have you? You're right though, who am I to think that Democracy is a good idea. I mean, who really wants to listen to the people of the country. Lets just stick with a corrupt dictatorship shall we. You obviously have been missing the news of late. Mugabe has already given a significant amount of power to the 'puppet' MDC. He's on his way out. Just wait till the next elections, which hopefully will be free and fair. If they are, then Mugabe is gone! Its all happening people!
Ah greenbomb , after I challenge you after you use another nom de plume , you resurface, hahaha how is that paprika crop on the farm you stole ? Hahaha , Mugabe or no mugabe you are being watched very closely ! You and the ZANU PF GANG DON'T BOTHER US , WE ARE WATCHING AND WAITING ! Aluta Continua !
This artcle clearly shows how inept the Zanu PF mouth piece The Herald can be. Its full of nonsense and who ever their analyst is could be conning them.
See all comments (12).
If we were to compare the power sharing in Zimbabwe to sharing a gold mine;I'd say Mugabe got the mine and Morgan got the shaft.Stupid analyst, stupid Herald!!!