Rifts in Zimbabwean political parties "threatening stability".

Excerpt from report by privately-owned weekly newspaper The Zimbabwe Independent website on 26 February

[Report by Constantine Chimakure: "Cabinet Choices Widen Rifts in ZANU PF, MDCs"]

Serious divisions have rocked the three political parties in the unity government after their principals appointed cabinet ministers based on cronyism and loyalty to the leaders.

So serious are the rifts in Zanu PF [Zimbabwe African National Union -Patriotic Front] and the two MDC [Movement for Democratic Change] formations that stability in the parties is under threat.

Impeccable sources told the Zimbabwe Independent that the appointment of 41 ministers and 20 deputies in the past two weeks by President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, exposed to the public glare the power struggles going on in Zanu PF and the two MDC formations.

The sources said the divisions were wide in the Tsvangirai-led MDC-T [Movement for Democratic Change -Tsvangirai] where the party leader was accused of favouritism, cronyism and tribalism in selecting his ministers.

After …