By Cris Chinaka
HARARE (Reuters) - Prospects for a power-sharing deal inZimbabwe look remote and the current round of negotiations isunlikely to produce a breakthrough, a senior ruling ZANU-PFparty official said on Tuesday.
A new round of talks began in Harare on Monday betweenPresident Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF and opposition leader MorganTsvangirai's MDC party seeking a deal to end a post-electioncrisis that is worsening Zimbabwe's economic decline.
"Our assessment is that they are simply trying to putspanners in the works, and they are not serious about reachinga workable power-sharing arrangement," the ZANU-PF officialtold Reuters.
"If that is their approach, and we believe it is, there arejust no prospects for any agreement. Instead of a power-sharingarrangement they are looking at deposing ZANU-PF andtransferring power to the MDC through these talks."
The sides were due to meet again on Tuesday for talksmediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki.
Two months of meetings in South Africa and Harare have sofar failed to ease divisions over how to share executive powersand Mugabe has threatened to form a cabinet without Tsvangirai.
ELECTION CHALLENGE
Tsvangirai said on Sunday he would rather quit talks thansign a bad deal and challenged Mugabe to hold a new election.
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.
Mugabe's victory in the election run-off was condemnedaround the world and drew toughened sanctions from Westerncountries whose support is vital for reviving Zimbabwe's ruinedeconomy.
Mbeki has come under repeated fire for not being toughenough with Mugabe, in power since 1980.
Other southern African leaders have taken a harder lineagainst Mugabe, but he has resisted pressure, and Tsvangirai'sMDC has made it clear it has little faith in Mbeki as amediator.
Further complicating the negotiations is the third faction-- a breakaway group from the opposition MDC.
It had been seen as moving closer to Mugabe recently, butthe faction led by Arthur Mutambara said on Monday it would notsign a unilateral deal with Mugabe if there was no agreementwith Tsvangirai's faction too.
Zimbabweans were hoping the election could produce aleadership able to tackle hyper-inflation and severe food andfuel shortages that have driven millions across the country'sborders, straining regional economies.
(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)
