Mugabe loyalists storm out of House

HARARE, Thursday

The rift between Zimbabwe’s coalition parties has spilled into the country’s polarised parliament after legislators from President Robert Mugabe’s party walked out protesting against critics of the veteran leader.

Zimbabwe was plunged into a fresh crisis last week after Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change started boycotting cabinet and council of ministers meetings.

Mr Tsvangirai’s party said it was suspending cooperation with Mr Mugabe’s Zanu PF eight months after they formed the unity government because it was not happy over delays in the implementation of their power sharing agreement.

The dramatic pull out was triggered by the jailing of MDC treasurer general Mr Roy Bennett on terrorism and banditry charges.

Mr Bennett whom the MDC says is being targeted for being white was released on bail last weekend pending the commencement of his trial next month.

A Zanu PF legislator torched another protest in parliament on Wednesday when he accused the MDC of disengaging from cabinet and the council of ministers because “white ex-commercial farmer Roy Bennett has been indicted for trial in the High Court on terror related charges.”

The MP said the disengagement was not consistent with Mr Mugabe’s speech at the official opening of parliament two weeks ago where he called for national reconciliation.

But an MDC MP hit back saying Mr Mugabe’s speech was only fit for people at mental institutions.

This prompted a mass walkout by the Zanu PF legislators who accused the MDC of disrespecting the president.

Only two Zanu PF MPs remained in the house.

The parliamentary session, which resumed on Tuesday after a two month break has so far been characterised by heated exchanges as MPs from across the political divide heckled each other.

Meanwhile, the three principals in the unity government are likely to meet as soon as President Mugabe returns from an ongoing summit in Uganda at the weekend.

According to Zimbabwe’s power sharing agreement, Mr Mugabe, Mr Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara share executive authority and if any of the parties pull out, the country would be plunged into a constitutional crisis.

“The principals need to talk to each other and agree on things that they agree on and disagree on things that they disagree on,” said Industry and Commerce Minister, Professor Welshman Ncube who is also secretary general of the smaller faction of the MDC.