Experts Doubt Government of National Unity Viable In Zimbabwe

By Carole Gombakomba
Washington
04 July 2008
Discussion With Jamaal Jafari and Phillip Pasirai - Download (MP3)
Discussion With Jamaal Jafari and Phillip Pasirai - Listen (MP3)

African leaders meeting in summit this week urged President Mugabe and opposition Leader Morgan Tsvangirai to form a government of national unity, but analysts warn that more substantive action must be taken to bring the political crisis to an end.

Both President Mugabe and Tsvangirai are setting conditions: Mr. Mugabe insists Tsvangirai recognize him as president before any talks can begin, while Tsvangirai is insisting that the results of the March 29 first-round elections should be the basis for

Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change is also talking up a transitional authority which would give way to new elections after two years as opposed to a a government of national unity which would continue through Mr. Mugabe’s five-year presidential term.

For a look at the chances any of these forms of crisis resolution will be achieved, reporter Carole Gombakomba of VOA’s Studio 7 for Zimbabwe turned to Senior Peace Fellow Jamaal Jafari of the Public International Law and Policy group in Washington, and Phillip Pasirai, a senior programs officer at the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, who opened the discussion by submitting that a national unity government is unworkable in Zimbabwe.

Article taken from: http://voanews.com/english/Africa/Zimbabwe/2008-07-04-voa55.cfm