HARARE, Zimbabwe, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe wants to obtain a mandate from the Southern African Development Community to form a new government, sources say.
Sources said Mugabe will attempt to obtain the mandate during the SADC Summit in South Africa next week as part his goal of creating a new government in Zimbabwe without opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the Zimbabwe Independent said Thursday.
One of the sources in Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, Mugabe's ruling party, said the president sees next week's summit as a "formality" given the African group's call for a new government last Nov. 9.
"To Mugabe, Monday's SADC summit is a mere formality," the source said "He does not expect SADC to overrule its position of November 9 and at the same time he is not expecting Tsvangirai to move from his stance. No more concessions will come from Zanu PF. Mugabe will ask SADC to give him the mandate to form a new government."
The Independent said Mugabe and Tsvangirai, the head of the Movement for Democratic Change, have remained divided regarding post nominations for a proposed unity government in Zimbabwe.
