Zimbabwe leaders call for Mbeki to break deadlock

HARARE, Zimbabwe

Friday, 10 October 2008 17:03:57

By ANGUS SHAW - Associated Press Writer

Zimbabwe's leaders have agreed that power-sharing talks have broken down over the allocation of Cabinet posts and called Friday for former South African President Thabo Mbeki to mediate an end to the deadlock.

Mbeki negotiated a power-sharing deal that was signed by President Robert Mugabe and the opposition Sept. 15. Nearly a month later, the government has yet to be formed.

On Friday Mugabe met with Prime Minister designate Morgan Tsvangirai and another opposition leader. Talks were adjourned after about an hour.

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, chief negotiator for Mugabe's ZANU PF party, said all three leaders "agreed to call in the facilitator to assist them in the mediation."

He said it was hoped Mbeki would travel to Zimbabwe next week.

Opposition spokesman Nelson Chamisa said the three leaders had "agreed to disagree" on the makeup of the Cabinet and the "natural progression" was to call for the assistance of the mediator.

"They have agreed that there is a deadlock not only on two ministries but all 31 ministries," he said.

Mugabe's ZANU-PF party has been insisting that most Cabinet jobs have been agreed except for the key home affairs ministry, which handles defense, and the finance portfolio. They have also been against further mediation by Mbeki.

On Thursday, Tsvangirai declared negotiations had stalled over the allocation of posts and asked Mbeki to return to mediate.

Earlier Friday, Chinamasa said Mugabe's ZANU PF party opposed renewed intervention by Mbeki, the state Herald newspaper reported.

It would be abusive to Mbeki to ask him mediate on "which side of the bed either of us should lie," he was quoted as saying.

Speaking to the Associated Press after the meeting Friday, Chinamasa did not want to comment on his earlier reported remarks or on whether there had been a change of heart by the ruling party.

"The important thing is that there is a commitment from all sides to implement the agreement and that they think Mbeki's involvement will facilitate the easy resolution of one or two issues," he said.

Under the Sept. 15 deal, the opposition gets 16 cabinet seats against 15 for Mugabe's party, reflecting official results of parliamentary elections held in March.

Mugabe remains president and head of the cabinet and Tsvangirai, as prime minister, heads a council of ministers responsible for government policy that Mugabe does not attend.

Concerns have been raised that delays in forming a unity government are exacerbating the country's humanitarian crisis and dashing hopes of an inflow of aid.

The U.N. food agency predicted a famine emergency in Zimbabwe with 45 percent of the country's 5.1 million people needing food help by early 2009.

Zimbabwe's economic collapse, with inflation of at least 231 million percent a year, has put seeds, fertilizer and farming equipment out of the reach of many. The nation is facing chronic shortages of food, medicine, gasoline, currency, electricity and water.