Zimbabwe voters' views

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe says he may form a government without the opposition, as power-sharing talks are deadlocked.

On Tuesday, MPs from the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), now in the majority in parliament, booed and heckled him, accusing him of using violence to rig this year's elections.

Here, Zimbabweans share their views on the country's latest political developments and their expectations for the future with the BBC News website.

Debby
"The most important thing to us is that it's a step."

Richard
"I feel much more positive about the future."

DEBBY, 51, FINANCIAL MANAGER, HARARE

After the March elections feelings here were of great anticipation, but then there was the non-event of the second election in June, and since then it's just been downhill. The talks seemed to fail, nothing came of it. We were not happy with the fact that Robert Mugabe was given any executive powers. It's just been a time of "wait and see" and everybody is tired of it and depressed by it.

The fact that parliament is now clearly in the hands of the party that should be ruling this country means everybody's really excited about it. It's the first time that we've had something to shout about in quite a while because the talks process has been very draining.

It's a very small step but the most important thing to us is that it's a step Debby, Harare

I'm not overtly leaping up and down. I want to see things translated into something positive. But the fact that the speaker in the house of parliament - and he has a lot of power - is now someone sensible and someone who will adhere to the rule of law, yes, that gives me hope.

I would be in favour of them boycotting parliament until we've got a government. Until there's an infrastructure here, they can sit and make rules and laws in Zimbabwe over a pile of rubble. We desperately need resources from the West and the outside world and that's not going to happen as long as Mugabe is anywhere near the presidency.

To envisage something based on one speaker of parliament being elected from the right party, is a very small step but the most important thing to us is that it's a step. So I can't say that I envisage huge changes - that would be naïve, given the history of our country and recent events - certainly those in 2008.

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RICHARD, 53, OPERATING SUPERINTENDENT, HWANGE

My feeling is that this was the democracy that everyone wanted. The way the Zimbabwean people voted meant that they didn't want any one dominant party anymore. They wanted the parties to be united. They wanted a unity government with representatives from all sectors. I'm happy because it's not only that the speaker was elected from the MDC but that the deputy speaker was elected from the smaller parties and that the senate has the president who is from the ruling party the Zanu-PF and that for me is quite ok.

Zimbabwe opposition delegates arrive for the opening of parliament

The heckling reflected the feeling of the day. People were venting their feelings. It happens in any democracy but I also think it was because Tsvangirai was not present. When Tsvangirai is there, when he is the next prime minister, I think he will control his crowd.

I feel much more positive about the future. The state of the economy is going to determine what happens in the future. We - who are not in parliament - don't really care very much about what is happening there right now but it is important that the next government is going to comprise both Zanu-PF and the MDC.

The settlement must be negotiated in good faith Richard, Hwange

It's going to be an inclusive government - that is what we are waiting for. We are waiting for Tsvangirai to sign up so that we can start a new phase in our lives.

When we look and talk about the future, we would rather that when voting came again we would have two or three parties so that it would be difficult for any one government to dominate. But if we are talking of the immediate future right now, our wish is that when Tsvangirai is going to sign and they are going to form government of national unity. The settlement must be negotiated in good faith and whatever agreement comes out is our agreement and the United States, Britain and the world should respect what we are going to say as what Zimbabwean people want.

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Mugabe to form 'lone government'