Mnangagwa to create position for Chamisa

ZIMBABWE will soon establish the position of leader of opposition in Parliament in accordance with Commonwealth tradition, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.

Mnangagwa confirmed the plans in an interview with US television Bloomberg TV.

He is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

"We are going to introduce the office of the leader of the opposition in Parliament," said the Zimbabwean leader Friday.

"This is what we are going to do ourselves but under the former administration (Robert Mugabe's) there was no formal recognition of the leader of the opposition.

"Under my administration we are embracing the Commonwealth approach where we recognise the leader of the opposition."

The MDC Alliance is Zimbabwe's main opposition and it is led by Nelson Chamisa who has refused to recognise Mnangagwa's July 30 victory which was rubber stamped by the Constitutional Court.

In the aftermath of the elections, Chamisa approached the Constitutional Court challenging the result and arguing that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had connived with Zanu PF to rig the poll in Mnangagwa's favour.

Despite the apex court's ruling, Chamisa maintains he won the elections and scoffed at Mnangagwa latest overtures.

The opposition leader's spokesman Nkululeko Sibanda said Chamisa wants Mnangagwa to return the country to "legitimacy", meaning recognising the MDC Alliance leader as winner.

"Our president is worried about the people's welfare. The party and president Chamisa are not worried about creating new position but a return to legitimacy because the people voted for their leader but were cheated.

"We want the implementation of the people's five point plan that includes a return to legitimacy, a clear economic rescue plan among others," said Sibanda.

MDC Alliance national chairperson Tabita Khumalo is the party's leader in Parliament.