Mbeki bids to keep power-sharing deal intact
Tuesday, 14 Oct 2008 08:42
Thabo Mbeki meeting Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai to stop power-sharing deal from unravelling
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Former South
African president Thabo Mbeki is starting consultations with
Zimbabwe's political leaders in marathon meetings aimed at saving a historic power-sharing deal that he brokered after months of intense negotiations.
Mr Mbeki arrived in Zimbabwe late Monday night to help break a deadlock over the share out of Cabinet portfolios between president Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Government officials said Mr Mbeki's consultations with Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai will begin Tuesday early morning as he tries to resolve outstanding issues between the two bitter rivals.
Mr Mbeki came a day after Mr Tsvangirai threatened to pull out of the power-sharing agreement in protest over Mr Mugabe's surprise decision to allocate key Cabinet portfolios to his Zanu-PF party.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) spokesperson, Nelson Chamisa, said Mr Mbeki's visit provided a platform and last opportunity to save the power-sharing deal.
"The meetings are an opportunity for Mbeki to knock sense into Zanu-PF to reverse its unilateral decision to grab and not to share power in a bid to save the power sharing agreement so that we start focusing on the humanitarian crisis in the country as a matter of urgency," said Mr Chamisa.
Under the deal signed four weeks ago, 84-year-old Mr Mugabe retains the presidency while Mr Tsvangirai takes the new post of prime minister.
But disagreements between over Cabinet portfolios has stalled the formation of a unity government that analysts say is the first key step in soling the country's decade-long political and economic crisis.
On Monday, the
European Union (EU) threatened fresh sanctions against Mr Mugabe if he refuses to let go key ministries to the MDC and pushed ahead with plans to form a new government.
The EU foreign ministers criticised the former guerrilla leader for "the unilateral decision to form a new government which has not been agreed by all parties," that the world's most powerful trading bloc was "ready to consider additional measures" against the southern African nation's government.