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Talks may 'collapse'
Zimbabwe's ruling party said power-sharing talks set to resume on Tuesday risked collapse because of differences with the opposition over leadership positions.
- Reuters
- Published: 23:59 August 12, 2008
- Image Credit: AP
- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe inspects a guard of honour during Armed Forces Day celebrations in Harare on Tuesday.
Harare: Zimbabwe's ruling party said power-sharing talks set to resume on Tuesday risked collapse because of differences with the opposition over leadership positions.
Marathon talks between the ruling Zanu-PF and opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), seen as Zimbabwe's best chance to end a post-election crisis and raise hopes of economic recovery, have so far failed to secure a breakthrough.
After a second day of discussions, President Robert Mugabe told reporters and supporters on Monday there was progress in talks with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and breakaway MDC faction leader Arthur Mutambara. But a Zanu-PF official said the talks were in danger of failure.
'Moving goalposts'
"Tsvangirai is moving goal posts, forcing us to negotiate issues which we had already agreed upon," he said, referring to whether Mugabe would head a new unity government. An MDC source said Mugabe refuses to give up executive powers.
Talks began in July after Mugabe's unopposed re-election in a June poll condemned throughout the world as unfair and boycotted by Tsvangirai because of attacks on his supporters.
There are a host of formidable issues. First and foremost is whether Mugabe will be ready to give up powers that helped him keep a tight grip. Who will control security forces is another critical question.
Mugabe, who has increasingly relied on the army for support, conferred medals on 16 generals, three of them posthumously, in a ceremony yesterday honouring Zimbabwe's military. The festivities could come in handy as Mugabe tries to keep powerful figures on his side during the crucial talks. The head of the Central Intelligence Organisation was also honoured.
"I suspect that long before we get to the summit there will be some decision coming out of Zimbabwe," Aziz Pahad, deputy foreign minister of South Africa, whose president Thabo Mbeki is chief mediator in the talks, said in Pretoria.
Mbeki could score a political coup if a deal is reached before a weekend regional summit of the Southern African Development Community group of nations.
Investors are likely to remain cautious even if there is a breakthrough, seeking reassurances that any new government can rescue what was once one of Africa's most promising economies and safeguard their money, analysts say.
Nic Borain, a political consultant at HSBC, said Zanu-PF and the opposition have few options. "I don't foresee a total breakdown where there would essentially be war on the streets or at least very high levels of repression and exclusion," he said.
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