Zim political rivals fail to strike deal yet again
http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Wayne Mafaro Tuesday 09 September 2008
HARARE - Zimbabwe's rival political leaders failed again to conclude a
power-sharing deal in talks on Monday with the opposition MDC party
saying they were still "areas of serious difference" with President
Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU PF party.
The latest round of talks is seen as the last chance for mediator South
African President Thabo Mbeki - who arrived in Harare earlier on Monday
- to rescue the negotiations from collapse after hitting deadlock over
how to share power between MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Mugabe in a
government of national unity.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa was downbeat when asked by re****ters
whether talks were making progress. "It is still work in progress.
There are still areas of serious difference," he said, without saying
exactly what were the points of difference.
But Mugabe appeared optimistic about dialogue describing yesterday's
meeting as good and that negotiations - which continue on Tuesday -
were moving forward and not backwards.
"It was a good meeting," Mugabe told re****ters at Harare's Rainbow
Towers hotel where talks are taking place. "We are moving forward and
not backwards," added the veteran leader, who is accused by the
opposition of delaying conclusion of talks because of his refusal to
relinquish his wide-sweeping powers.
Mugabe, who told re****ters that no deal had been concluded yet despite
talks making progress, insists that Tsvangirai should sign a draft
power-sharing deal that was endorsed by SADC and which the Zimbabwean
leader and Arthur Mutambara, who heads a breakaway faction of the MDC,
have accepted.
Under the draft power-sharing deal Mugabe would remain executive
president in charge of both state and government while Tsvangirai would
be prime minister but without power to hire or fire government
ministers. He would also not chair Cabinet meetings. The MDC leader
would also be required to re****t regularly to Mugabe.
Tsvangirai insists he should get the lion's share in any power-sharing
government because he defeated Mugabe in the first round presidential
voting on March 29 although he failed to secure the margin required to
takeover the presidency.
The March vote is widely regarded as more credible than a second round
run-off poll on June 27 won by Mugabe who was the only candidate after
Tsvangirai pulled out because of state-sponsored violence against his
sup****ters. Western nations and several African countries have refused
to recognise the June poll.
Tsvangirai told a rally of his MDC party in the central city of Gweru
on Sunday that he would not sign any power-sharing deal that allows
Mugabe to retain his current powers, adding that he would rather pull
out of talks than accept a "bad deal".
The Zimbabwe talks had only a few weeks ago showed much promise that a
political settlement was within easy reach but have in recent weeks
looked irreversibly headed for collapse especially after Mugabe gave
Tsvangirai up to last Thursday to sign the draft power-sharing deal or
he would form a government without the opposition leader and his MDC
party.
Sources in Mugabe's government said at the weekend he only held back on
announcing a new Cabinet to give chance to Mbeki's latest push on
Monday for a breakthrough in the talks.
On the other hand, the MDC rejected Mugabe's ultimatum to sign up the
power-sharing deal and said if he appointed a new Cabinet that would be
the end of negotiations.
In addition, senior officials of the MDC told ZimOnline privately that
Tsvangirai had in fact lost faith in the talks and was on a campaign to
bring key Africa states and major international powers to intensify
diplomatic pressure on Mugabe to relinquish power.
Analysts say only a government of national unity could be able to
tackle Zimbabwe's long-running crisis marked by political violence and
a bitter recession seen in the world's highest inflation of more than
11 million percent, 80 percent unemployment, shortages of food and
basic commodities.
Western donor nations whose financial sup****t is vital to any effort to
revive Zimbabwe's crumbled economy have said they would back a unity
government only if its executive head is Tsvangirai. - ZimOnline
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