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Zimbabwe
Mutambara slams Tsvangirai for talks boycott
Article published on the 2008-07-06 Latest update 2008-07-07 11:45 TU
Mugabe meets Mutambara and other party leaders
(Photo: AFP)
Opposition dissident Arthur Mutambara has slammed Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) for refusing to attend Saturday's talks with President Robert Mugabe. The talks were organised by South Africa's Thabo Mbeki and Mutumbara claims that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai had demanded they take place.
"Every Zimbabwean must talk. Morgan Tsvangirai must talk. Unless we pick up guns, we myst talk," Mutambara told RFI. He met Mugabe along with his party's Secretary-General Welshman Ncube and the latter's deputy Priscilla Misihairibwi-Mushonga.
Mugabe's Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai showed "utter disrespect" in not coming to the talks.
The MDC said that it did not go because the "context of the meeting" was not clear and because it was in the presidential palace. The party does not recognise Mugabe's claimed victory in the final round of the presidential election which it boycotted.
Analyst Knox Chitiyo says that Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party may be trying to isolate Tsvangirai by gaining the support of the ten MPs who support Mutambara.
"If they can win Matambara away from Tsvangirai, then that will strengthen Zanu’s position and negotiating skills," he told RFI.
On Saturday, the UK Guardian newspaper made public a film showing prison officers being obliged to fill in their ballots in the presidential run-off in front of Zanu-PF officials.
