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HARARE: Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe swore in his two vice-presidents Monday, a senior government official said, despite an ongoing dispute with the opposition over a power-sharing deal.
"They were sworn in this morning at State House by President Mugabe," a senior government official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity shortly before former South African president and mediator Thabo Mbeki was due to land for talks with all parties.
Vice-presidents Joyce Mujuru and Joseph Msika took office just two days after Mugabe revealed in state media that he would unilaterally give his party the most important seats in cabinet, despite an agreement to share power with the opposition.
Under the deal signed four weeks ago, 84-year-old Mugabe retains the presidency while opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai takes the new post of prime minister.
But the agreement hit a deadlock when the two men could not agree on how to divide the most important cabinet positions, including defence, home affairs and finance.
State media announced Saturday that Mugabe has decided to give his own party all key cabinet posts, prompting Tsvangirai to threaten to pull out of the deal.
Mbeki was expected in Harare later Monday to try to save the pact, which he brokered in the final days of his presidency.
The agreement allows Mugabe to choose his own vice-presidents, but the decision to swear them in without involving the MDC cast doubt on what success Mbeki could hope to achieve.
- AFP/yt
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