Zim: Back to the drawing board
2008-09-30 19:08
Special Report
A new team has been appointed to monitor Zimbabwe's troubled unity government, ending former president Thabo Mbeki's mediation role, President Jacob Zuma's office has announced.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe says he doesn't expect the US sanctions on his country to be lifted soon.
Harare - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai met on Tuesday, but failed to agree on a share-out of ministries in a power-sharing government, the opposition said.
MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa told AFP that the deadlock had been referred back to former South African president Thabo Mbeki who mediated the agreement signed earlier this month.
"As MDC, we refuse to be junior partners in the inclusive government," Chamisa said.
"Any power-sharing is supposed to be a partnership of equals. As a result of this there has been a deadlock.
"The matter has been referred to the mediator."
The standoff follows Mugabe's claim on Tuesday that a new government would be formed by the end of the week.
"Unfortunately, there has not been any movement on the part of Zanu-PF who are insisting on taking all the powerful ministries against the spirit of a power-sharing agreement," said Chamisa.
A source close to the negotiations said Zanu-PF wants the defence, home affairs, state security and finance ministries.
- AFP