Morgan Tsvangirai - power-sharing - Zimbabwe
Mugabe to meet Tsvangirai in fresh bid to break cabinet deadlock
Saturday 04 October 2008
Zimbabwean ruler Robert Mugabe is set to meet opposition leader and Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai on Saturday, in a new attempt to break the deadlock over key ministerial appointments
Special Report Struggle for leadership in ZimbabweSaturday 04 October 2008
By ReutersHARARE - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe was set to meet opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Saturday to try to break a deadlock over cabinet posts threatening a crucial power-sharing deal, a senior government official said.
Arthur Mutambara, leader of a smaller faction of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was also due to attend the meeting at Mugabe's State House offices in Harare, he said.
"The principals will be meeting today in an effort to resolve the outstanding issues," a senior official close to the talks told Reuters.
The official declined to comment on when an agreement was expected or whether there was mounting pressure from former South African President Thabo Mbeki -- who is mediating in the Zimbabwe crisis -- to form a government.
"I don't think we should be speculating. An agreement will be reached when the outstanding issues have been resolved," he said.
Mbeki's spokesman said Mbeki would not be going to Zimbabwe to mediate Saturday's talks.
"He is not going to Zimbabwe this weekend," spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga told Reuters.
Officials from both Tsvangirai's main MDC party and Mutambara's faction declined to comment on the talks.
Talks between Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF and the MDC have reached an impasse over who will control key ministries in a unity government to be established under the Sept. 15 power-sharing deal.
The opposition accuses Mugabe's party of trying to assign it a junior role in government and says only mediation can break a deadlock in talks on forming a cabinet.
But ZANU-PF said it did not see any immediate need for mediation and Mugabe had expressed confidence the cabinet would be named this week. Tsvangirai and his officials say a deal is not imminent.
A meeting between Mugabe and Tsvangirai on Tuesday failed to lead to a breakthrough, raising fears the deal could break down.
Without a breakthrough, Zimbabwe's economy could worsen still further. The once-prosperous nation is crumbling under inflation of about 11 million percent -- the highest in the world -- and chronic food shortages.
Pour aller plus loin
Pour aller plus loin
18/11/2008 17:24:27 Alert a moderator
mbeki failure.
By deply sorry ben - uk
He can be the only one who is keen for solution but he failed south africa how cam he be able to help zimbabwe ,he is costing the poor man of zimbabwe there lives he should be man enogh and admit let others handle the situation.
13/10/2008 16:43:13 Alert a moderator
Mugabe a ruthless leader
By Anonyme - zim
The world must assist us ordinary and innocence Zimbabweans from this tyrant leader who have vowed to make the whole nation to suffer so that he can rule.
Please help us, people are dying of hunger daily, Mugabe as having all the decent meals per day at the expense of the dying masses.
Please the world do help us in whatever means from this bondage life.
Johns
Zimbabwe
12/10/2008 19:35:04 Alert a moderator
Pull out, Morgan
By Kirk Hetfield - Boston
Clearly, Zanu PF has broken the deal. The MDC is in a powerful position: Mugabe would not have offered him
a deal if he did not realise the fact that it is essential for the MDC to be in government, not just for the stability of the country, but also to help Zimbabwe get the international support it needs to rebuild it's shattered economy.
If the MDC doesn't pull out of the deal now, and refuse to re-enter it witout their demands being met, it will only hurt Mugabe, and also, Mugabe will feel like he has the upper hand, and further undermine the MDC's position in this power "sharing" deal.