Zimbabwe: Historic Unity Pact Signed Today

In the most concrete step made towards political reconciliation and progress in Zimbabwe yet, the key players in the country's political crisis signed a Unity Government Pact in the country's capital, Harare, today. The signing of the pact was witnessed live by millions of Zimbabweans on TV and presided over by Thabo Mbeki in the company of 10 African Heads of State. The Pact inaugurates opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai as Prime Minister, keeping Robert Mugabe as President with reduced powers. Arthur Mutambara is Deputy Prime Minister. The three leaders will be sharing power and the Cabinet will consist of 31 members, 16 from the former opposition party MDC and its breakaway faction led by Tsvangirai and Mutambara respectively, and 15 from Mugabe's ZANU-PF. According to Tsvangirai the top priority of the new government would be to bring food to food-scarce Zimbabwe. He urged parties to look past past wrongs. Mugabe, on his part, hailed the Pact as a triumph of African Diplomacy.

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