Another day of talks tomorrow..?
This via USA Today:
Zimbabwe’s opposition leader left crucial power-sharing negotiations with longtime President Robert Mugabe with no sign of a breakthrough Tuesday, two days after the talks began.
Movement for Democratic Change President Morgan Tsvangirai was stony faced as he walked briskly from a Harare hotel to his car. He made no comment other than to say the talks’ mediator, South African President Thabo Mbeki, would make a statement.
The opposition party’s No. 2, Tendai Biti, denied the talks had broken down.
“The talks have not collapsed,” he said. “We are taking time out.”
Biti said the negotiations would “most likely” resume Wednesday. After four hours of meetings, Mugabe and Mbeki apparently remained at the hotel.
Rumours are the talks have broken down (but rumours have a way of surfacing in a vacuum of information). Thabo Mbeki will apparently be carrying out a press confernece tomorrow. In the same report, Arthur Mutambara said that his party would be holding one too. We have also heard that the MDC’s Media Liason Officer was arrested today at the Rainbow Towers, but have no more information on that at this stage.
August 13th, 2008 01:19
There is a story on Al Jazeera that Mutambara may have signed a power sharing deal with Mugabe. It’s being denied on all sides, so who knows
If he did, would his MPs go back on their earlier assurances and cross the floor to Mugabe’s side of the House? Or has he made a huge blunder in his quest for power?
I guess all will be revealed tomorrow.
August 13th, 2008 06:26
It’s inevitable that the talks will break down if both parties stick to their positions. There is no common ground between the MDC’s principles for a future democratic Zimbabwe, and the junta’s determination to hold on to their current powerful positions and ill-gotten gains.
The real danger to the country’s future, however, is in a compromise which leaves those responsible for the last 3 decades of terror and abuse still holding public office and positions of power.
Even if the MDC agrees to grant amnesty from prosecution to Mugabe and his henchmen, the MDC must insist that Mugabe, his inner circle and all known perpetrators of terror are expressly barred from ever holding public office or government jobs in a future Zimbabwe. We cannot allow these bad eggs to contaminate our new fledgling democracy by allowing them to hold positions of status and power inside state organisations which are supposed to serve the people.
August 13th, 2008 11:46
‘We cannot allow these bad eggs to contaminate our new fledgling democracy by allowing them to hold positions of status and power inside state organisations which are supposed to serve the people.’ Seconded. But how can that be done? What could possibly motivate ZANU to accept this? It is far more likely that, like a man who knows he will die does crazy things, they might unleash hell on our nation just for the joy of watching their enemies be denied the power they hold so dear.