By Nelson Banya
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's opposition leader called forreform of the ruling ZANU-PF in a gesture that could open thedoor to a national unity government, but an ally of PresidentRobert Mugabe appeared to reject any co-operation.
Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)won the March 29 parliamentary election with a slim majority,handing ZANU-PF its worst defeat since Mugabe led it to powerafter independence from Britain in 1980.
The MDC leader is trying to rally support across partylines as he prepares to face Mugabe in a June 27 presidentialrun-off election. Tsvangirai won a parallel presidential pollin March but not by the margin needed to avoid a second ballot.
"Instead of focusing on what divides us, we must now try toheal our nation. This means that we can even talk aboutrestoring ZANU-PF," Tsvangirai said in a speech in Harare.
"In the spirit of moving the country forward, let us seekout those peaceful members of ZANU-PF whose eyes are open tothe disastrous state of our nation. Let us listen to theirviews. Let us invite them where we have policy agreements."
But Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the two partiespursued conflicting ideologies, suggesting an MDC governmentwould try to reverse land reforms that forcibly redistributedwhite-owned farms among blacks.
"Our political platform in ZANU-PF is diametricallyopposite to the political platform of the MDC. We've made manystrides but more particularly in consolidating the gains of ourrevolution," Chinamasa told a news briefing in South Africa.
"The political platform of the opposition is to reverse thegains of the revolution to restore white occupation of ourland. It's a political platform that will destabilise thecountry. It's like a declaration of war," he said.
UNITY TALK PREMATURE
"I think that discussion on the government of nationalunity, or whatever you want to call it, is prematurely beingraised," added Chinamasa, who is in South Africa attending aministerial meeting on prisons.
Chinamasa said a ruling party analysis showed that 600,000of its supporters had not bothered to vote on March 29 due tocomplacency, undermining ZANU-PF's tally.
Tsvangirai, who has previously broached the idea of workingwith Mugabe's ZANU-PF in a future government, said there wouldbe no cooperation with what he described as the "violent hawks"in the ruling party.
He added that there would be no amnesty from prosecutionfor those who continued to engage in political violence.
The MDC says more than 50 people have been killed inelection-related attacks since March, blaming elements withinZANU-PF. Mugabe's officials say MDC supporters are responsible.
"We want to warn the MDC they should stop immediately thisbarbaric campaign of theirs," Mugabe said on Thursday as he metsupporters who said their houses were torched and destroyed byanti-Mugabe forces.
The opposition and human rights groups have accused Mugabeand his officials of trying to intimidate opponents ahead ofthe vote. They also fear that his government will rig theresults of the poll, as it is accused of doing in pastelections.
Mugabe and Tsvangirai say they are confident of victory.
Looking ahead to a post-election transition, Tsvangiraisaid he intended to reform the civil service, judiciary andsecurity forces but pledged not to purge pro-Mugabe officials.
The MDC leader also outlined a plan to revive Zimbabwe'seconomy, battered by more than 165,000 percent inflation, whilestate enterprises and the central bank would be restructured.
(Additional reporting by Emelia Sithole-Matarise inPretoria; Editing by Giles Elgood)