Mutambara backs Tsvangirai
MDC Faction leader Arthur Mutambara told reporters on Monday that his faction supports the demands of Tsvangirai’s mainstream MDC as a regional bid to resolve Zimbabwe’s unity government deadlock was under way Monday.
“We support those demands. We hope and trust Robert Mugabe and his party will be able to respond positively to the demands,” Mutambara said.
But while Mutambara called for “flexibility, compromise and pragmatism” the state-run Herald has labelled the talks as “D-Day”, with Mugabe and Tsvangirai saying the meeting could be the last attempt to make the September deal work.
Mugabe threatened Sunday to break off power-sharing talks if the opposition declined a deal, saying “either they accept or it’s a break” in the government mouthpiece Sunday Mail newspaper.
Tsvangirai’s MDC meanwhile, insisted it would not join a unity government until all its concerns had been addressed — including allegations that its supporters had been abducted and tortured by state security agents.
Motlanthe, Mbeki and Guebuza were to meet the Zimbabwe leaders before negotiating teams for the three parties tackle the details of their differences.
Mugabe and Tsvangirai have yet to agree on how to share power within cabinet despite repeated interventions by African leaders.
“The meeting of the leaders will be followed by a meeting of the negotiating teams which is expected to discuss outstanding matters related to the implementation of the global agreement,” said South African government spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa.
Included in talks would be a constitutional amendment that would give effect to the power-sharing arrangement ahead of a parliamentary session on Tuesday, he added.
The agreement calls for 84-year-old Mugabe to remain president while Tsvangirai would take the new post of prime minister.
Posted by Simba Dzvairo
on January 19, 2009. Filed under Local News.
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