News / National
Tsvangirai rules out another marriage with Mugabe
11 Apr 2013 at 13:17hrs | Views
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has ruled out another unity government with Robert Mugabe, and is optimistic that he will win elections due to be held this year.
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change and Mugabe's Zanu-PF party formed a unity government after violent and disputed elections in 2008.
But while the economy has since stabilised, relations between the parties have remained fraught and this year's election is expected to be hotly contested.
Despite criticism from some MDC supporters that the party has failed to effectively use its position in coalition with Mugabe's party, the Prime Minister remains optimistic he will secure enough votes to win this year's polls.
"I won the last one, the only difference is that I did not win power, but I won an election, I have always said what makes people think that I will not win another one, so I am very confident that the support of the people is unwavering," he told the Financial Times in London.
And if he wins, he maintains he could manage the transition from joint rule.
"I don't think it would be helpful for the country to go into another unity government. A unity government just creates paralysis," he added, citing the slow pace of reform as a particular frustration," he said.
Asked if Mugabe, who still dominates the political scene, would step down if Tsvangirai won, he said: "Mugabe is [almost] 90 years. The thing is that I am sure for him the most important motivating factor is legacy."
The once acrimonious relations between the two parties have improved over the course of the past four years, he said.
Asked what would happen if Mugabe refused to leave power in the event of an MDC victory, he said: "I don't see that playing out that is a chaos scenario, the country will go back to what it was in 2008 and no one wants that."
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change and Mugabe's Zanu-PF party formed a unity government after violent and disputed elections in 2008.
But while the economy has since stabilised, relations between the parties have remained fraught and this year's election is expected to be hotly contested.
Despite criticism from some MDC supporters that the party has failed to effectively use its position in coalition with Mugabe's party, the Prime Minister remains optimistic he will secure enough votes to win this year's polls.
"I won the last one, the only difference is that I did not win power, but I won an election, I have always said what makes people think that I will not win another one, so I am very confident that the support of the people is unwavering," he told the Financial Times in London.
And if he wins, he maintains he could manage the transition from joint rule.
"I don't think it would be helpful for the country to go into another unity government. A unity government just creates paralysis," he added, citing the slow pace of reform as a particular frustration," he said.
Asked if Mugabe, who still dominates the political scene, would step down if Tsvangirai won, he said: "Mugabe is [almost] 90 years. The thing is that I am sure for him the most important motivating factor is legacy."
The once acrimonious relations between the two parties have improved over the course of the past four years, he said.
Asked what would happen if Mugabe refused to leave power in the event of an MDC victory, he said: "I don't see that playing out that is a chaos scenario, the country will go back to what it was in 2008 and no one wants that."
Source - financialtimes
