“The events of the past week are placing the agreement at serious risk,” said Makoni, who also queried why Mugabe, MDC leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara bothered signing the deal before resolving all major issues at stake such as who would control which posts in the power-sharing government.
“Since the deal was signed, the suffering of the people has actually become worse,” Makoni told journalists in Harare.
He added: “The people are suffering immensely, they are angry and frustrated and they feel hostage to leaders who seem uncaring and insensitive to their plight. We share the people’s anger and frustration.
“We wonder what compelled the leaders to sign an incomplete agreement, if there are major issues unresolved. They raised the people’s hopes and expectations, whetted the national appetite for progress, only to dash the hopes and expectations.”
Makoni, a respected businessman and former diplomat, was expelled from ZANU PF for daring to challenge Mugabe in the March 29 presidential election in which he came a distant third.
Makoni, who stood as an independent, garnered 207 470 votes or 8.3 percent of total ballots cast against 1 195 562 votes or 47.9 percent of total valid votes cast for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and 1 079 730 ballots or 43.2 percent of total votes cast for Mugabe.
Mugabe went on to win a June 27 second round run-off vote uncontested after Tsvangirai withdrew from the poll because of political violence against his supporters.
Makoni was excluded from the September 15 power-sharing deal brokered by ex-South African president Thabo Mbeki because his Mavambo/Dawn/Kusile (MKD) movement did not win parliamentary seats in a March 29 general election.
Under the power-sharing agreement Mugabe will remain president while Tsvangirai becomes prime minister and Mutambara deputy prime minister. The agreement allots 15 Cabinet posts to ZANU PF, 13 to the Tsvangirai-led MDC and three to Mutambara’s faction.
However the bare-bones agreement does not say who gets which specific posts and the rival parties have since the signing of the agreement wrangled over who should control the important ministries of home affairs, finance, local government, foreign affairs.
Meanwhile Makoni said his MKD was closer to transforming itself into a full-fledged political party, adding the movement offers crisis-weary Zimbabweans “hope for the future.”
He said: “We of the Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn movement, are in the process of converting ourselves from a movement of volunteers, into a full fledged political party.
“A draft constitution is now in place and consultations with MKD activists and other citizens are underway. This process will culminate in the official adoption of the constitution and launch of the party.” – ZimOnline