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(NEWZIMBABWE) Mutambara: Tsvangirai indecisive

Mutambara: Tsvangirai indecisive
Last updated: 13/08/2008 16:12:47

ARTHUR Mutambara, the leader of a faction of Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said on Wednesday that the country's political rivals had "agreement on everything except on one aspect". "Morgan Tsvangirai has requested time to reflect and consult," Mutambara told reporters. "Three times he agreed to this one aspect and three times he changed his mind." Tsvangirai leads the main faction of the Movement for Democratic Change opposition.

Power-sharing talks can still succeed soon despite disagreements over leadership, South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Wednesday after failing to secure a deal at marathon talks.

President Robert Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara met in Harare for three days without reaching agreement, dimming hopes of an end to a post election crisis that has worsened Zimbabwe's economic decline.

"We are indeed convinced that it is possible to conclude these negotiations quite quickly," Mbeki, the chief mediator in the negotiations, told reporters in the Angolan capital Luanda.

Mbeki appealed for patience, saying the crucial issue of leadership positions was still under discussion.

"They are working on a truly inclusive government," he said after meeting Angolan President Dos Santos, the chairman of the SADC Policy, Defence and Security Organ.

SADC heads of state gather in South Africa from Friday, and reports say Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara could all be invited for discussions.

Negotiations followed Mugabe's unopposed re-election in June in a presidential election run-off from which Tsvangirai withdrew because of attacks on his supporters. The ballot was condemned around the world.

Mbeki said earlier in Harare that Mugabe had agreed on sharing power with Mutambara, but the MDC faction leader said on Wednesday that no agreement had been signed.

"This is a tripartite negotiating framework. You cannot get an agreement where only two parties agree," Mutambara said, adding that talks were likely to continue.

The biggest question is the fate of Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai did not agree to a power-sharing agreement, raising doubts over whether Zimbabwe's parties can stabilise the country after violent elections.

"They need a bit of more time to reflect so they will do that," Mbeki told journalists in reference to Tsvangirai.

Mbeki said there was one key sticking point, which he did not identify. He said Tsvangirai had asked for "space ... to reflect about this matter which the other two negotiators have agreed."

The most contentious issue has been the amount of control 84-year-old Mugabe is prepared to cede.

Mugabe reportedly wants to retain as much authority as possible as president, while Tsvangirai reportedly wants sweeping executive powers as prime minister.

The Herald newspaper, an official government mouthpiece that usually gets information from close Mugabe confidants, accused Tsvangirai of raising objections on Tuesday on the orders of a "Western embassy." The government often accuses Tsvangirai of being a stooge of Britain and the United States.

Without identifying the source of its information, The Herald reported that Mugabe and Mutambara had agreed they could not wait any longer. It said President Mugabe would go ahead and form the next government and parliament would soon sit. - Staff Reporter/AP/Reuters/AFP
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Labels: ARTHUR MUTAMBARA, MUGABE

posted by MrK @ 4:53 PM