Mugabe Moves Hint At Unilateral Formation Of New Zimbabwe Government

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Source: VOA

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has told his ministers that he is dissolving the cabinet, signaling his intention to name a new slate of ministers in defiance of international pressure for him to share power with the opposition, as such a government will not be joined by either formation of the Movement for Democratic Change, political sources said Friday.

Top officials in Mr. Mugabe's government and ZANU-PF party said most of his ministers have received letters that went out Jan. 1, but some who were away will receive them Monday.

They said Mr. Mugabe could form a new cabinet as early as Tuesday.

A report in the state-controlled Herald newspaper on the one hand suggested the letters to ministers terminating their executive appointments were effecting a mere cabinet shuffle.

Many of those receiving termination letters lost the parliamentary seats in March elections so could not continue as ministers beyond three months from their October appointments.

But the Herald at the same time said Mugabe spokesman George Charamba "indicated that President Mugabe was going ahead with the formation of a new government."

more: http://voanews.com/english/Africa/Zimbabwe/2009-01-02-voa37.cfm