Kitsepile Nyathi
5 September 2008
Harare — South African President Thabo Mbeki will next week try to revive Zimbabwe's deadlocked power sharing talks after the opposition ignored a Thursday ultimatum by President Robert Mugabe to sign a power sharing agreement.
Mr Mbeki, who has been trying to secure a deal for a unity government between the country's warring political parties since early July, cancelled a trip to Harare after opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai refused to sign the draft deal.
This was after Mr Mugabe threatened to form a government alone if Mr Tsvangirai did not sign an agreement the opposition has dismissed as inadequate.
The deal if signed in its present form would make Mr Tsvangirai a ceremonial prime minister, with Mr Mugabe retaining the core of the executive powers he has wielded for the past 28 years.
"He (President Mbeki) was not able to make it today (Thursday) and I am made to understand the trip has been postponed to next week," said Mr Patrick Chinamasa, the ruling Zanu PF chief negotiator.
The MDC, which insists that it won't accept an agreement that would make Mr Tsvangirai a "lame duck" prime minister, had warned that Mr Mugabe's threats could sabotage the talks.
"Negotiations don't work on the basis of political threats and ultimatums," MDC spokesman, Mr Nelson Chamisa told the Zimbabwe Independent.
"We don't understand all these outbursts. We are equal partners in the talks and we want to make it clear we won't be intimidated or stampeded into signing a raw deal.
Agreement
"Why should we accept an agreement giving us the position of ceremonial or titular prime minister? Why on earth should we accept this proposal? The people don't want it. : We won't be commandeered by anyone to sign the agreement."Mr Mbeki's latest initiative comes amid growing signs that both parties are fast losing confidence in the dialogue.
President Mugabe, whose ruling Zanu PF party lost its parliamentary majority to the opposition for the first time since independence in March has already appointed provincial governors exclusively from his party.
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