Tsvangirai Sworn in as Coalition PM

CBC News
February 11, 2009

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the official opposition party in Zimbabwe, was sworn in Wednesday as the country's new prime minister. This comes after months of confusion over a coalition government with Mugabe. Mugabe, who Tsvangirai has accused of committing many political crimes, attended the ceremony in the presidential palace in Harare, the Zimbabwean capital. All of the regional leaders along with the rest of the country watched as the 56-year-old Tsvangirai swore to "well and truly serve Zimbabwe in the office of prime minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe". Those remaining cabinet members will be sworn in on Thursday. The security portfolios will still be controlled by Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, while the Movement for Democratic Change party under Tsvangirai will take control of two very important portfolios: health and finance. These portfolios are so important in this time as there has been a countrywide cholera breakout that has killed thousands and water and sanitation infrastructures are breaking down. Zimbabwe is in a very harsh and poor economic time, with a booming unemployment rate and a near worthless Zimbabwean dollar. Countries nearby have been pressuring the two parties to come together and work to form a power-sharing government that will greatly benefit the country as well as the region as a whole. This new unity government is expected to hold new elections in the upcoming two years. Tsvangirai has a truly difficult task ahead of him. Many of his allies have commented that he should never have agreed to serve as prime minister with Mugabe continuing as president of the country.

I believe that Tsvangirai is faced with a truly difficult task. He is faced with a country that is impoverished and in dire economic straits. He has been forced to form a partnership with a truly dishonest leader, Mugabe, whose powerful supporters threaten Tsvangirai's personal safety . Tsvangirai must step up to the plate and lead the nation in the best way he can without ruffling too many feathers of the Mugabe regime. This will be a difficult task indeed given Mugabe's track record of deceit and deception. Many worry for his personal safety and for the safety of his supporters. Tsvangirai's resolve and political integrity will be crucial in bringing Zimbabwe through this era of uncertainty. If he can do this, I believe that he can truly bring this country out of its economic and political crisis.