Zimbabwe deal 'can be salvaged'

Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai remains hopeful a power-sharing deal with President Mugabe can work, despite an impasse in talks.

Mr Tsvangirai said the deal was sound but there was "a problem of trust" between himself and Mr Mugabe.

Talks on sharing cabinet posts have stalled over Mr Mugabe's insistence on appointing his supporters to key posts.

Earlier, the two sides appealed to the regional grouping, Sadc, to mediate in the long-running negotiations.

Both Mr Tsvagirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Mr Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF called on Sadc (Southern African Development Community) and the African Union to help broker a deal.


Difficult negotiations


Four days of negotiations ended on Friday with the two sides unable to agree on a division of government posts.

Speaking on Saturday, Mr Tsvangirai insisted the month-old power-sharing deal could be rescued, but that Mr Mugabe was dominating the negotiations and failing to listen.

"There's nothing wrong with deal, that's why we signed. It's only when it came to implementation that we ran into problems," he told thousands of supporters at a rally in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city.

"The past four days have been a dialogue of the deaf," the AFP news agency reported him as saying.

"It was one-man monologue. Mugabe does not negotiate. He just says 'No'," AFP reported.

The efforts to reach a deal were mediated by former South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Mr Mbeki oversaw the signing of the power-sharing framework deal a month ago, but has since stepped down from office in South Africa and is now attempting to construct Zimbabwe's new government as a private citizen.


Ministry conflicts


The BBC's Jonah Fisher, following events from South Africa, says the power-sharing deal now teeters on the brink of total collapse.
President Mugabe had reportedly told the MDC he had allocated the main ministries, including defence, home, foreign affairs, and justice, to Zanu-PF.

Mr Tsvangirai later told Mr Mbeki that 10 cabinet positions needed to be revisited at the negotiations, officials said.

As well as finance, the MDC also insisted it should have home affairs - and control of the police - if Zanu-PF had defence.

They say they need home affairs to give them a stake in the country's security forces and that power sharing should mean them getting a fair share of key cabinet positions, our correspendent says.

The MDC accused the security services of taking part in violent attacks on its supporters before June's presidential run-off election.

Yet it was the MDC's insistence on taking the home affairs portfolio that has proved the biggest sticking point, a senior aide to Mr Mugabe told The Herald newspaper.

Reports on Friday suggested that Mr Mugabe might have agreed to let the MDC take the key post of finance minister, but that he would not give it home affairs.

Finance is one of the most crucial posts, as Zimbabweans hope the power-sharing deal will lead to action to tackle the economic crisis.

Donors have promised to help finance a recovery plan but they are unlikely to release funds if a Zanu-PF minister is in charge.

At 231,000,000%, Zimbabwe has the world's highest rate of annual inflation, while some two million people need food aid. Aid agencies warn that figure could double within the next few months.

According to the original power-sharing deal agreed last month, 15 ministries are to be allocated to Zanu-PF, 13 to the MDC, and three to a smaller MDC faction led by Mr Mutambara

Source:BBC