NEGOTIATORS INVOLVED in talks aimed at resolving Zimbabwe’s political crisis have adjourned the discussions for a few days to confer with their leaders, according to South African president Thabo Mbeki.
Sources close to the talks near South Africa’s capital Pretoria have told local reporters that both sets of negotiators have reached a deadlock over who will lead a unity government. They have therefore withdrawn to discuss the impasse with their respective leaders.
Mr Mbeki, the main mediator between President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and a breakaway faction, insisted yesterday the parties were making progress.
Zanu-PF and MDC have been involved in the crisis talks since last Thursday after ground rules were agreed four days earlier by Mr Mugabe and the latter party’s leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.
It is hoped the talks will bring an end to the political crisis that has gripped the southern African country since its disputed March 29th general election, and brought the economy to a virtual standstill.
“They are adjourning for a number of days so that they could go back to Harare to consult with their principals and then come back,” said Mr Mbeki.
“It’s going very well. In the memorandum of understanding they said they will try to conclude negotiations within two weeks. They are very determined to keep to that commitment,” he added.
Despite Mr Mbeki’s assurances, it is understood the impasse is significant, as it revolves around the Zanu-PF negotiating team’s insistence that Mr Mugabe continues as Zimbabwe’s president, with Mr Tsvangirai as vice-president. MDC representatives maintain they will not enter into a government of national unity led by Mr Mugabe, or accept a vice-president position.
Mr Mugabe’s chief negotiators, justice minister Patrick Chinamasa and social welfare minister Nicholas Goche, flew to Harare on Monday to confer with Mr Mugabe, while Mr Tsvangirai went to Pretoria to meet his representatives.
Mr Tsvangirai won most votes in the first round of elections in March – but not enough to avoid a run-off with Mr Mugabe. However, the opposition pulled out of the June 27th head-to-head after months of escalating state-sponsored violence in which at least 120 of his supporters were killed and thousands went missing.