No deal; new vote - Tsvangirai

2008-09-07 21:10

Gweru - Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on Sunday for fresh elections, supervised by international observers, if deadlocked power-sharing talks do not reach a breakthrough.

With South African President Thabo Mbeki expected in Harare later this week in a bid to revive the negotiations, Tsvangirai told thousands of supporters he would only sign a deal that gives him "sufficient" power.

"If there are continued problems over the presidency, then we go for national elections supervised by the international community," he told a rally marking the ninth anniversary of the creation of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.

Talks between President Robert Mugabe and Tsvangirai, whose MDC holds a Parliamentary majority, deadlocked in mid-August over Mugabe's desire to retain control of the security forces, according to the opposition.

The talks are being brokered by Mbeki on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a 15-nation bloc.

Mbeki's expected trip to Harare this week comes after Mugabe threatened to form a Cabinet if Tsvangirai delayed signing a document to pave the way for a power-sharing deal.

No deal better than bad deal

"Mugabe should be head of state and I head of government," Tsvangirai told the rally in Gweru.

"If he does not accept that, let it be. We have time on our hands and we have the people on our side... We would rather have no deal than a bad deal."

Speaking earlier at the same rally, the MDC's second in command, Tendai Biti, recalled that the talks had stalled over powers invested in the president by the current constitution.

"The president created in this constitution is a monarch, an imperial president," said Biti, the MDC's secretary-general.

"That's the sticking point," he said. "It's the issue of the powers of the president as enshrined in this constitution that is making these talks not to move forward."

- AFP