The dispute over the allocation of ministries in Zimbabwe's power-sharing government has been referred to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) after four days of talks in Harare failed to bring about an agreement.

A senior negotiator for President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party told The Herald newspaper in Harare  that the principal disagreement was over which party would control the home affairs ministry, which is responsible for the police.

It has already been agreed that Mugabe will continue to control the armed forces. The Zanu-PF negotiator, Patrick Chinamasa, said the party had agreed to cede the finance ministry to the Movement for Democratic Change.

Although the SADC facilitator, former South African President Thabo Mbeki, denied that the talks had deadlocked, Agence-France Presse reported Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai as saying a deadlock had been declared.

"Regrettably, after four days of intense negotiations, we have failed to agree on the... key issue, which is the equitable allocation of ministerial posts and the composition of cabinet," AFP quoted Tsvangirai as saying. He said the parties were "far apart" on the issue.

The SADC's "Organ on Politics, Defence and Security" will now consider the dispute. Under the power-sharing agreement which Zimbabwe's leaders signed on September 15, SADC, Mbeki and the African Union act as guarantors and underwriters of the deal. The three countries which run the security organ are reportedly planning to meet in Swaziland on Monday.

Tsvangirai is scheduled to report back on the talks at rallies in the cities of Bulawayo and Masvingo this weekend.