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Both Mugabe and Tsvangirai hint Zimbabwe deal is close
2008-09-10
HARARE (AFP) - Negotiations on power-sharing in Zimbabwe ended Wednesday without a deal, but both President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai hinted that agreement is very close. "So far so good," Mugabe told journalists as he emerged from the closed-doors meeting at a hotel in the Zimbabwean capital Harare. "Tomorrow, we will hopefully sign," he said. "I must say that very little is left," Movement for Democratic Change leader Tsvangirai said, without giving details. Tsvangirai said that the meeting will reconvene Thursday afternoon at 1400 GMT to give some time to the chief mediator, South African President Thabo Mbeki, to consult. Negotiators for Mugabe and Tsvangirai resumed power-sharing talks earlier Wednesday amid optimism for a deal to end Zimbabwe's political crisis. The talks were held at the Rainbow Towers hotel with Mugabe, Tsvangirai and opposition faction leader Arthur Mutambara all present. When he left the first day of talks Tuesday, Mugabe said that "hopefully" the negotiations would wind up on Wednesday. He added that there remained "one or two areas of disagreement." The talks resumed Wednesday amid signs that a deal to end the country's political crisis could be reached by this week. "I am optimistic, we are not born to be pessimistic, are we?" Mugabe said as he arrived at the venue Wednesday. When asked if the outstanding differences would be ironed out Wednesday, the 84-year old said: "I hope so." An MDC source had been more cautious, saying there was "guarded optimism" in their camp. "We are hoping this process will come to a fruitful conclusion this week," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The talks had been deadlocked on the allocation of executive power between Mugabe and Tsvangirai after controversial elections in June, won by Mugabe, who was the sole candidate after Tsvangirai withdrew, citing violence against his supporters. Mugabe has led Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980, but his party was trounced for the first time in legislative elections on March 29. The veteran leader agreed to power-sharing talks after winning a June 27 run-off vote amid condemnation from the international community. Tsvangirai was ahead of Mugabe in the presidential first round but short of an absolute majority. The talks stalled last month after Tsvangarai refused to sign a deal tabled by Mbeki, who then adjourned the negotiations to allow Tsvangirai time to reflect. A southern African security summit due to begin Wednesday in Swaziland was deferred by a day amid speculation that Zimbabwe's political rivals could finally ink the long-awaited power-sharing deal. The politics and security committee of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was supposed to meet in the Swazi capital Mbabane but the summit was postponed, South African foreign ministry spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said in a statement. "We have been advised that the SADC Troika Summit of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-ordination scheduled for Wednesday in Mbabane, Swaziland, has been postponed," until a day later, Mamoepa said. Swaziland foreign minister, Mathendele Dlamini, told AFP Wednesday in Mbabane that the start of the Troika meeting was dependent on the outcome of the Harare talks.
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