Mugabe, Tsvangirai Sign Power Sharing Agreement for Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai made it official today when they signed a power sharing agreement. Mugabe remains President while Tsvangirai becomes Prime Minister. They have agreed to draw up a new constitution.

While Tsvangirai's MDC will get a slim majority of Ministers in the new government, Mugabe retains control over the military and intelligence services (although Tsvangirai's faction will control the police). Mugabe has the authority to dissolve Parliament which has a slim MDC majority as a result of last March's elections.

While I suppose Tsvangirai being PM is better than him being in jail or dead I still wonder how much power he will actually have. After Mugabe signed the agreement he spoke and railed against the U.S. and U.K. for outside interference and blasted the MDC for election violence. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. It's that kind of talk which convinces this agreement won't last six months.

You have Mugabe and Tsvangirai in charge of two different cabinets, you have the military and police answerable to two different leaders and there is no foundation for economic reform. The land seizures of white owned farms earlier this decade have been deemed "irreversible." So long as Mugabe's cronies sit on those farms, Zimbabwe's economy will remain basket case instead of bread basket.