Zimbabwe

Negotiations open between the two parties

Article published on the 2008-07-22 Latest update 2008-07-23 10:10 TU

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe (l) shakes hands with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai
(Credit: Reuters)

Zimbabwe's ruling party Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have begun negotiations on a power-sharing deal that could end the country's political crisis. The talks come a day after a deal was signed committing Zanu-PF and two factions of the MDC to two weeks of negotiations with South African mediators.

According to sources close to the talks, the negotiations have started at an undisclosed venue in South Africa's capital, Pretoria.

However, neither Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe nor MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai are at the talks.

The parties "are there, and we do now know the kind of scenarios that are in play," said correspondent Jean Jacques Cornish, reporting from Pretoria. He noted that there is a lot of pressure to make major changes within the next two weeks, including drafting a new constitution.

 

And Simba Makoni, the third-placed candidate in Zimbabwe's first-round presidential vote last March, welcomed the talks, calling them a promising start.

Makoni who had been seen as a possible bridge between President Mugabe and Tsvangirai, was absent from Monday's ceremony.

The former finance minister infuriated Mugabe when he decided to run as an independent in the first round.

"I think it depends on how you mean being involved. Not being at that table does not mean that we are not involved," said Makoni.