Pretoria - Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) on Tuesday blasted as "malicious" assurances given by southern African leaders at the end of a 12-hour summit that the party had agreed to join President Robert Mugabe in a power-sharing government.
"It's completely malicious," a spokesperson for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa after South African President Kgalema Motlanthe told reporters that Zimbabwe's four-month-long political impasse had been resolved.
"There was no agreement. We will only form a government subject to the resolution of all of our demands," Joseph Mungwari said.
After 12 hours of talks between nine heads of state and government from the 15-nation Southern African Development Community, SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salamao, reading from a communique, said: "the prime minister (Tsvangirai) and the deputy prime ministers shall be sworn in by 11 February 2009".
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The swearing in of ministers from Mugabe's Zanu-PF and two factions of the MDC would take place two days later, ending the process of the formation of the inclusive government, according to SADC.
Remaining sticking points in the implementation of September's power-sharing accord, which sees Mugabe remain president, would be dealt with afterwards, SADC said.
When asked whether the MDC had agreed, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe said: "Yes, of course they will ensure that the amendment 19 (that makes Tsvangirai prime minister) is enacted and will present themselves on the said date for the swearing-in ceremony."
Motlanthe also maintained that the MDC had given in to a SADC proposal that it share control of the home affairs ministry with Mugabe's Zanu-PF.
"All the parties accepted that position of SADC," he said.
The MDC was not immediately available for comment on the claim but in a statement circulated after the end of the summit the party listed the allocation of ministries as a key sticking point at the outset of the talks and said the summit fell "far short of our expectations".
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