Dumisani Muleya
12 June 2008
Johannesburg — CHIEF negotiators for Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu (PF) and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have resumed talks in Pretoria in a bid to find a breakthrough to end the country's political stalemate.
The resumption of negotiations has given momentum to suggestions the June 27 presidential runoff may be cancelled and a government of national unity formed.
The United Nations (UN) Security Council is due to discuss the Zimbabwe situation today, while the UN wants to send an envoy to Zimbabwe to assess the crisis.
The talks resumed on Tuesday and continued yesterday, presided over by Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi. The two groups previously met on May 30 and 31 .
Zanu (PF) is represented by Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche, while the MDC faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai sent Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma. The MDC group led by Arthur Mutambara was represented by Welshman Ncube and Priscillah Misihairabwi at the recent meeting.
The Mutambara group negotiators were excluded this time, because the focus was on the runoff . It is understood Pretoria also excluded the Mutambara group as it wants to deal with the Tsvangirai faction, which has publicly said it no longer has confidence in Mbeki's mediation. Tsvangirai's group is demanding Mbeki pledge impartiality and guarantee Mugabe will come to the negotiating table.
Sources said Mufamadi, assisted by director-general in the Presidency Rev Frank Chikane and Mbeki's legal adviser, Mojanku Gumbi, met the Zanu (PF) and MDC representatives in the past two days to discuss the runoff and political violence. Election observers from SA will be deployed in Zimbabwe today to assess the situation, which has claimed 66 lives to date.
The British House of Lords yesterday intensified calls for international monitors under UN auspices. Mugabe has refused access.
Meanwhile, Zanu (PF) and the MDC continue to focus on a negotiated settlement. Both parties want this solution .
Mugabe wishes to avoid the runoff to negate the possibility of losing and being taken to task for human rights abuses. But he also wants to win the runoff and negotiate from a position of strength.
Tsvangirai also wishes to sidestep the runoff avoid losing -- yet he also wants to prove that he can win outright.
This has forced the two to work together, even if it means the poll has to be cancelled. However, during campaigning their public positions remain hardline. Tsvangirai on Tuesday claimed there would be no talks on a government of national unity before the runoff.
"There has been growing momentum on the question of a government of national unity. A government of national unity negotiated before the runoff does not arise," Tsvangirai said.
"We have been on record as saying once a mandate has been given to us, we will form an inclusive government to manage our transition. We are committed to this."
Tsvangirai said a Kenyan unity government model "is not an option as people have spoken, and our circumstances are different".
However, the reality, sources said, was that Zanu (PF) and the MDC were engaged on the issue.
The sources said talks were going on at various levels with the two parties, involving not just SA, but also other players -- such as the US and Britain, as well as the UN, African Union and Southern African Development Community.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Business Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
