US: Mugabe violating deal
2008-10-15 09:37
Special Report
A classical music presenter for the BBC has been arrested and is in custody in Zimbabwe.
Washington - The United States on Tuesday accused Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe of violating a power-sharing deal with rival Morgan Tsvangirai by offering key government posts to his own party.
"President Mugabe apparently overstepped the bounds of that agreement in claiming several ministers that were not part of the power-sharing agreement that was brokered," State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack told reporters.
"What we hope is that you get back the implementation of the agreement that was struck between the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) and President Mugabe," he added.
Tsvangirai is the leader of the MDC.
McCormack appeared to doubt Mugabe's intentions when a reporter asked if the United States trusted the veteran leader.
"Well, we'll see," he said. "That's always been the open question."
Tsvangirai, leaving a Harare hotel after more than seven hours of negotiations led by former South African president Thabo Mbeki, said that no agreement had been reached on Tuesday in power-sharing talks with Mugabe.
But he added that negotiations would continue the next day.
Mbeki brokered the agreement reached four weeks ago that called for 84-year-old Mugabe to remain as president while Tsvangirai takes the new post of prime minister.
The deal had been hailed as a breakthrough in efforts to end months of deadly political turmoil and to rescue the nation from economic ruin.
But Tsvangirai has threatened to pull out of the deal after Mugabe last weekend announced he would give his own party the most important posts in cabinet.
- AFP