Zimbabwe's parties start full crisis talks
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Senior negotiators from Zimbabwe'smain opposition MDC and the ruling ZANU-PF party began talks onThursday and a report indicated they were close to reaching adeal on forming a unity government.
The talks were under way on Thursday, President ThaboMbeki's spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga said. Senior Movement forDemocratic Change officials and two Zimbabwean cabinetministers were leading the rival negotiating teams meeting atan undisclosed venue around the South African capital Pretoria.
Preliminary talks began on Tuesday after Mbeki secured aframework deal between President Robert Mugabe and MDC leaderMorgan Tsvangirai on Monday for talks to end the deadlock overMugabe's re-election on June 27 in a poll boycotted by theopposition because of violence.
Ratshitanga said even if negotiators missed a two-weekdeadline set under the framework agreement, it did not mean theend of talks.
"It does not mean if the talks are not done in two weeks,that the talks will collapse," he said.
The main aim of the Pretoria talks will be the creation ofa government of national unity, but the two sides differ on whoshould lead it and how long it should stay in power.
South African financial daily Business Day reported onThursday that the two sides are close to reaching a deal butstill need to iron out the final details.
Business Day, citing sources in both parties and peoplefamiliar with the talks, said a final settlement can be reachedsoon as the parties had already agreed on many issues.
"They have agreed on most of the issues, except mainly theframework for a new government. The deal is basically done, butwhat remains are a few issues of detail, implementation andlogistics," Business Day quoted a source as saying.
Zimbabwean political analyst Eldred Masunungure said abreakthrough in talks was possible as the rival parties hadbeen talking under mediation led by South African PresidentThabo Mbeki since March last year.
"A breakthrough is a reasonable possibility, even in twoweeks. This is essentially the second phase of theSADC-mediated process, the first phase having started in March2007," Masunungure said.
MEDIATION
Mbeki was appointed by regional grouping the SouthernAfrican Development Community to mediate between the Zimbabweanparties. He had been increasingly criticised, especially by theMDC, which accused him of taking too soft a line with Mugabe.
As part of the framework deal, the rival parties agreed toa media blackout but Zimbabwe's state-owned Herald newspaperreported on Thursday that MDC and ZANU-PF's main negotiatorsflew to South Africa on the same flight on Wednesday.
Masunungure, a political science lecturer at the Universityof Zimbabwe, said a major issue for the negotiators would bethe form of a unity government with a number of options mooted,including splitting the executive to create a titularpresidency for Mugabe and executive premiership for Tsvangirai.
"The titular presidency for Mugabe does appear the morelikely route. Given his age, Mugabe might be agreeable toeasing out of power, rather than being kicked out. He will notlose anything except executive power," Masungure said.
The MDC says 120 of its supporters have been killed since afirst round of elections on March 29, in which Tsvangirai beatMugabe but without the absolute majority to avoid a run-off.Mugabe blames the opposition for the bloodshed.
The Herald said ZANU-PF's decision-making politburo met onWednesday and gave party negotiators approval to continue withthe talks.
The Herald quoted ZANU-PF deputy information and publicitysecretary Ephraim Masawi as saying the politburo expressedsatisfaction with the framework deal signed by Mugabe,Tsvangirai and a smaller MDC faction.
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Public ServicesMinister Nicholas Goche will represent ZANU-PF at negotiations,while MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti and Deputy TreasurerElton Mangoma would attend for Tsvangirai's party.
"We gave Chinamasa and Goche the green light for them to goahead with the negotiations within the parameters signed by theprincipals," Masawi said, according to the Herald.
(Additional reporting by Cris Chinaka and Nelson Banya inHarare)
(Editing by Mary Gabriel)