Zimbabwe opposition ready to talk with Mugabe

London: Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said Zimbabwe's main opposition group was preparing to hold talks with President Robert Mugabe's party on Monday.

Odinga expects the two sides to sign an agreement for talks to take place in South Africa and he hopes the discussions would lead to a safe exit from power for Mugabe.

The talks are to take place in Pretoria, chaired by President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, and administered by the African Union and the United Nations representatives.

Officials from Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change said that its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, can sign an agreement as early as Monday to start substantive talks with Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

Mbeki has proposed to act as a liaison between the African Union, the Southern African Development Community and the United Nations.