MDC: Talks have stalled
2008-10-10 15:33
Special Report
A new team of SA mediators have held their first talks with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe in a fresh bid to ease tensions within the strained unity government, a report says.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe says he doesn't expect the US sanctions on his country to be lifted soon.
Harare - Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change on Friday claimed that talks to allocate key cabinet positions have reached deadlock, leaving a power-sharing accord in jeopardy, a spokesperson said.
"The three principals met and there is now a shared consensus among them that there is a deadlock," Nelson Chamisa, spokesperson for the MDC told AFP.
"The intervention of the mediator therefore becomes imperative," said Chamisa.
President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF was not available to comment.
In September Zimbabwe's political rivals signed a landmark power-sharing deal aimed at ending the country's ruinous political crisis.
Under the deal, 84-year-old Mugabe would retain his position as head of state, after nearly three decades in power, while Tsvangirai took up the new post of prime minister.
Tsvangirai's MDC claims that Mugabe's ruling party wants to retain key posts - believed to be the defence, home affairs, state security and finance ministries - in violation of the pact.
- AFP