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NewsDay

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‘Mugabe misreads GNU provisions’

Politics
THE MDC-T has accused President Robert Mugabe of misinterpreting provisions of the Global Political Agreement (GPA)

THE MDC-T has accused President Robert Mugabe of misinterpreting provisions of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) when he declared that the coalition government would automatically collapse when Parliament’s lifespan ends on June 29.

Report by Wonai Masvingise

Mugabe last week told a Zanu PF central committee meeting that the GNU would end next month.

“What Mugabe said is factually and legally wrong. Factually the GNU does not end on 29 June. It is Parliament whose life expires on 29 June, but the government may proceed functioning up to four months after 29 June,” MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said.

“In terms of the new Constitution, the GNU arrangement continues to exist until the swearing-in of the new President. In other words, the offices of the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers and ministers continue to exist until the swearing-in of the next President.”

However, Zanu PF’s Copac co-chairperson Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana maintained that the GNU would collapse next month and only the Presidium would remain in office.

“The GNU came as a result of the March 2008 election and so it came arising with the Parliament. The (Global Political) Agreement falls away when Parliament dissolves, but the President continues in office,” Mangwana said.

“The person with the mandate to choose a Cabinet that will continue for 90 days after Parliament dissolves will be the President and he can choose and drop any ministers he wishes. The President can drop ministers from the other two parties if he so wishes.”