Relations between the two main members of the government of national unity (GNU)-Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)-appear to be reaching new lows amid tensions over the election of a parliamentary speaker. In mid-March the Supreme Court nullified the election of the existing speaker, Lovemore Moyo (an MDC member), alleging that the vote in 2008 did not follow proper procedures. This sparked an angry reaction from Mr Tsvangirai, and understandable speculation that ZANU-PF was chiefly interested in installing a Mugabe loyalist in the run-up to elections. This tactic did not succeed, however: in an election at the end of March, Lovemore Moyo was re-elected as speaker with 105 votes, defeating the ZANU-PF candidate, Simon Khaya Moyo, who secured 93 votes. Given that the mainstream MDC and its MDC-N offshoot, led by Welshman Ncube, have a combined total of 103 members of parliament (MPs), this would suggest that two ZANU-PF MPs voted for Lovemore Moyo.

ZANU-PF officials are reportedly investigating the identity of "dissident" MPs, but MDC officials are under more obvious threat. According to reports in the state and other media, both Mr Tsvangirai and Lovemore Moyo are at risk of arrest on charges of contempt of court by the Mugabe-appointed attorney-general, Johannes Tomana. Indeed, a South African newspaper, Sunday Independent, reported on March 27th that Mr Tsvangirai had made a private visit to South Africa to seek the intervention of that country's president, Jacob Zuma, to prevent his arrest. These reports, combined with the arrest of the MDC minister for energy, Elton Mangoma (on allegations of corruption arising from the award of petrol procurement contracts), and suggestions that the minister for home affairs, Theresa Makone, is in hiding, have prompted suggestions that with global attention focussed on North Africa, ZANU-PF hardliners are mounting a coup against their putative coalition partners.