7 Zimbabwe Opposition Members Charged in Bomb Plot
7 Zimbabwe opposition activists charged, plead not guilty in bombing plot
Mugabe, who has been in power since the country's 1980 independence from Britain, agreed in September to share power with Tsvangirai following a disputed presidential election in March. Under the deal, Mugabe is to remain president and Tsvangirai would get the new post of prime minister.
The deal has broken down, with Tsvangirai accusing Mugabe of trying to hold on to too many key Cabinet posts.
State media have reported that Mugabe was expected to form a new government by the end of February, apparently without the opposition. Tsvangirai insists he will not become prime minister in a unity government until disagreements are settled.
The political impasse has kept leaders from addressing the outbreak of a cholera epidemic, blamed on the collapse of Zimbabwe's health and sanitation systems.
On Wednesday, the United Nation's World Health Organization reported 26 new deaths from cholera, bringing the number of people who have died from the waterborne disease to 1,778.
That was up from the 21 deaths reported Tuesday, following a week in which the epidemic had showed signs of slowing.
In all, 35,931 cases of cholera have been reported in Zimbabwe since August, the U.N reported.
Mugabe's claimed last month that the epidemic had been brought under control and that there was "no cholera" in the country.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's state-run newspaper The Herald reported Wednesday that Mugabe had named eight Cabinet acting ministers to replace aides who lost their seats in the March vote.
Last week, the president formally dismissed the ministers who lost their parliamentary seats. That move was viewed as part of preparations for unilaterally naming a new government.
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