1:27pm UK, Monday October 13, 2008

President Robert Mugabe has sworn in two vice-presidents in a move likely to worsen Zimbabwe’s power-sharing row.

Mugabe’s unilateral move is slammed by the European Union

It came as South African president Thabo Mbeki returned to the country to try to rescue negotiations.

Mr Mugabe, 84, has already given control of 14 key government departments to his own people, including defence, home and foreign affairs.

And now VPs Joyce Mujuru and Joseph Msika have been sworn in at State House, officials said.

Under the deal signed four weeks ago, Mr Mugabe retains the presidency while opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai takes the new post of prime minister.

But the agreement hit a deadlock when the two men could not agree on how to divide the most important cabinet positions.

Mr Tsvangirai has since threatened to pull out of the agreement.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said EUleaders have condemned the “attempted power grab being made by the Mugabe regime.”

EU foreign ministers are discussing the power row at talks in Luxembourg, and hope Mr Mbeki will find a political solution to how to carve up the 31 cabinet posts.

He was asked by African leaders to mediate over Zimbabwe’s disputed election and persuaded rivals to share power last month.

While Zimbabwe’s politicians bicker, half of the population, some 5.1m people, face starvation, and water shortages have led to deadly cholera outbreaks, according to aid agencies.

Mr Tsvangirai said if new efforts to break the deadlock fail, his Movement For Democratic Change (MDC) party would be forced to quit the power-sharing accord.

He said he would rather pull out than accept a bad deal.

The MDC accused Mr Mugabe of acting unilaterally and said it jeopardised the agreement to govern jointly.

The party has argued it should take the lion’s share of power as it won most votes in the first round of elections in March.