Introduction to International Politics
Foreign Event Analysis
| Locale | ![[]](http://www.kvasaheim.com/flags/flag15-zw.png "Flag of Zimbabwe") | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| Title |
Summit Stalled
| |
| Summary |
Zimbabwe’s Morgan Tsvangirai was not able to attend the previous scheduled summit because his passport is currently invalid. Mugabe’s government has stalled his passport that he was suppose to receive for three months, instead Tsvangirai was given an emergency travel document. Tsvangirai will attend a rescheduled summit aimed at breaking the deadlock that has left the country virtually leaderless with a growing economic crisis. Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe signed a power-sharing deal last month but have since been bitterly deadlocked. Tsvangirai accuses Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party of trying to hold on to too many of the most powerful ministries in a proposed 31-member unity Cabinet, including those responsible for finance and police.
| |
| Analysis |
Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will attend a summit in Harare next week aimed at saving an agreement to form a unity government with President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai and Mugabe have both been very precaution because of the power issue at hand, neither one wants the other party to have more power in the cabinet.
Zimbabwe’s long-ruling ZANU-PF was into the minority in parliament for the first time when Tsvangirai defeated Mugabe in a first-round presidential vote in March. Tsvangirai represents a new set of ideas with their party called Movement for Democratic Change. Mugabe represent more a dictatorship that Zimbabwe has been in. The two differing ideals bring them into a power stalemate because they believe in their ideals so much that it is difficult to see it in any other way.
Mugabe believes he knows what is best for his people and refuses to release all his power, the highest position in the cabinet is held by him and he is adamant about keeping that position for his party. He is so concerned because the MDC has taken many seats in the cabinet asserting their ideals. Mugabe is president and they made Tsvangirai the prime minister.
"When you seek a solution to a problem, you talk to those that you disagree with,” he told South African public radio, describing the differences over the cabinet as “niggling problems."
These two political rivals are in the process of discussing power sharing in order to return function to their state, which is currently in turmoil. | |
| Perspective |  | Identity |
| In-Region URL | ||
| Out-of-Region URL | ||
| Submitted | October 24, 2008 at 11:57 am | |
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