Mnangagwa, Chamisa, rule out GNU…ED to appoint MDC ministers

HARARE: Emmerson Mnangagwa has ruled out the possibility of an inclusive Government when he appoints his new Cabinet after inauguration expected in the next few days.

Mnangagwa is of the view that though a coalition government was not bad, it is not necessary at the moment.

In his first interview with Sky News, Mnangagwa promised to be everyone’s President.

Said  Mnangagwa: “In 1964 Harold Wilson of Britain had one seat, beating the Conservatives by one seat and he formed a Government and ruled England and I have two thirds majority and you are talking about me abandoning my two thirds majority to set a Government of National Unity(GNU)?”

Sources say Mnangagwa is likely to appoint one or two legislators from the MDC Alliance into his cabinet but will not form a GNU because it literally paralyses government operations.

They say Mnangagwa tried this when he came into office on 24 November last year but was thwarted by MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai.

Mnangagwa had picked Nelson Chamisa and Tapiwa Mashakada, who both served in the inclusive government, but Tsvangirai rejected this saying that Mnangagwa could not hand pick whom he wanted from his party but must let Tsvangirai appoint the two which Mnangagwa refused.

Meanwhile, Chamisa’s MDC Alliance has also ruled out GNU saying unity governments should be a voluntary thing and not forced through election theft.

“We don’t want people to abuse their power, to abuse the guns to rig elections in order to (force a unity government). let the GNU come out of free and fair elections, let it come out of a voluntary process where the winner should lead the GNU,”Morgan Komichi said.