By Violet Gonda
9 February 2010

The latest negotiations between the political parties in the coalition government entered day two with still no progress. The talks resumed on Monday after a break of over two weeks.

There is a media blackout on the sensitive proceeding stalling the full implementation of the Global Political Agreement, signed in September 2008. But sources close to the talks said there is still no movement on the fundamental issues in dispute.

“The MDC-T maintains there is a deadlock, ZANU PF is not giving in on anything and the MDC-M, on the other hand, is trying to prolong the dialogue as long as it can,” said one of the sources.

MDC-T Chief negotiator Tendai Biti is quoted saying: “You can’t call these ‘talks’ because there is no talking. We are moving nowhere. We can’t make any movement on the key issues so there are no talks to talk about.”

A South African team sent by President Jacob Zuma arrived in Harare on Monday to facilitate the dialogue between the political parties and it’s reported the team, Charles Ngqakula, Lindiwe Zulu and Mac Maharaj had scheduled more meetings with the negotiators on Tuesday.

Spokesperson for the MDC-T Nelson Chamisa told SW Radio Africa ZANU PF remains inflexible and are simply running away from putting their signature on issues already agreed upon. He said: “We continue to see this attitude of (ZANU PF) speaking inclusivity but acting exclusivity – meaning they are preaching inclusiveness but obviously practising exclusiveness, despite the GPA being a shared compromise.”

The MDC spokesperson said the South African facilitation will either help break the impasse, or pronounce the negotiations deadlocked.

“We have insisted that we want finality, closure and conclusion of this period of talking about talks. We now need to make sure we either agree to move forward, or agree to disagree. And in the event that we agree to disagree, we need to put in place an electoral management dispensation and electoral framework that will usher in a period of free and fair elections.”

The outstanding issues include disagreements over the appointments of provincial governors, the Reserve Bank Governor, Attorney General and the MDC’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture appointee; the removal of sanctions, external radio stations, and renewed land invasions, among other issues.

SW Radio Africa