Mugabe draws ire over key appointments

HARARE, Zimbabwe, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has allocated leadership of key ministries to members of his ruling party despite ongoing power-sharing talks, opponents say.

Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change have been negotiating for nearly a month on how to carve up government ministries after reaching an historic power-sharing deal. But those talks have deadlocked because of Mugabe's refusal to negotiate control of Zimbabwe's police and finances, the BBC reported Saturday.

Despite the ongoing nature of the talks, Mugabe has proceeded to appoint ZANU-PF members to head ministries responsible for the army, police and other state security, the state-run Herald newspaper said Saturday.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told the BBC, "This is ZANU-PF's arrogant wish list that puts the whole deal into jeopardy. It is unilateral, contemptuous and outrageous.

"Just yesterday we agreed to call in the facilitator (former South African President) Thabo Mbeki because there was a deadlock. The MDC totally and absolutely rejects this nonsense."