By Cris Chinaka
HARARE (Reuters) - South African President Thabo Mbeki willmeet Zimbabwe's rival parties in Harare on Monday in a newattempt to secure a power-sharing deal amid growing doubts overhis chances of success.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said on Sunday he wouldrather quit talks than sign a bad deal and challenged PresidentRobert Mugabe to hold a new election. Mugabe threatened to forma government alone if Tsvangirai did not sign a deal last week.
The post-election talks are deadlocked over how to shareexecutive power between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, putting off anychance of rescuing Zimbabwe from its economic collapse.
South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman RonnieMamoepa said Mbeki would meet the leaders of Zimbabwe'snegotiating parties in Harare.
Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in a March 29 election but fellshort of enough votes to avoid a June run-off, which was won byMugabe unopposed after Tsvangirai pulled out, citing violenceand intimidation against his supporters.
Mbeki, mandated by regional countries to mediate in theZimbabwe talks, has come under repeated fire for not beingtough enough with Mugabe.
Other southern African leaders have taken a harder lineagainst Mugabe, but he has refused to budge, and Tsvangirai'sMovement for Democratic Change (MDC) has made it clear it haslittle faith in Mbeki as a mediator.
Tsvangirai told a rally on Sunday marking the party's ninthanniversary that he would not change his position in thepower-sharing talks if pressured by Mbeki.
The election run-off was condemned around the world anddrew toughened sanctions from Western countries whose supportis vital for reviving Zimbabwe's ruined economy.
A smaller, breakaway faction of the MDC, led by ArthurMutambara, is the third party in negotiations aimed at forminga national unity government.
Tsvangirai told the rally an agreement was out of thequestion unless Mugabe, in power since independence fromBritain in 1980, was prepared to compromise.
(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)
