The Insider

President Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front always wanted a five-year transitional government while Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change wanted a maximum of three years.

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South African President Thabo Mbeki was to facilitate one-on-one talks between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change president Morgan Tsvangirai to discuss unresolved issues leading to the formation of a transitional government.

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Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai said he was being magnanimous in allowing Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front leader Robert Mugabe a position in government because Mugabe had not won anything while he had won the 29 March elections.

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President Robert Mugabe maintained a small delegation of seven to the United Nations general assembly in August 2008 though he had just won the controversial presidential elections six weeks earlier. There was only one change. Tourism Minister Francis Nhema was replaced by intelligence director Happyton Bonyongwe.

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Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai insisted that Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic leader Robert Mugabe would not retain an executive role in the new government but would be a ceremonial president.

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Swedish diplomat Jon Ecklund told United States embassy officials in Pretoria that his government was concerned that talks between Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front leader Robert Mugabe were focussed on power rather on transformation.

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Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai said that President Robert Mugabe was prepared to accept a ceremonial presidency but his lieutenants especially Emmerson Mnangagwa were not prepared to give any executive authority to the MDC.

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