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Zimbabwe

Power-sharing talks resume in South Africa

Article published on the 2008-08-29 Latest update 2008-08-30 08:47 TU

Tendai Biti (L) and Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, who are both at the negotiations(Photo : AFP)

Tendai Biti (L) and Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, who are both at the negotiations
(Photo : AFP)

Power-sharing talks between Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) resumed in South Africa Friday. The deputy leader of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Tendai Biti, flew to Pretoria for a meeting with Mbeki's officials but would not hold direct discussions with President Robert Mugabe's party.

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"Our good understanding is that there are no talks," Chamisa told the French news agency AFP.

"There is some kind of engagement to have some understanding ... of where we are, because it's not clear whether the talks have collapsed or are still on," he said.

Relations have soured between Zimbabwe's political rivals since the talks stalled on 17 August at the end of a SADC summit in South Africa.

Divisions remain over how Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, would share power in a national unity government.

President Robert Mugabe has plans to form a government without the opposition, which won general elections in Zimbabwe in March.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, has filed a protest over the matter to South African president Thabo Mbeki, the talks' mediator.

The major sticking points are over what authority they would have as president and prime minister, as well as how long a transitional government would remain in place.

Sources close to the negotiations say the MDC wants a clause in the agreement stating that elections be held within 90 days if one of the parties pulls out of the unity government.