by Own Corrrespondents Friday 22 January 2010
HARARE - Zimbabwe's coalition partners called off negotiations on Wednesday, with negotiators hinting last night that there was little prospect of the parties resolving anytime soon a raft of outstanding issues holding back the unity government and threatening to render it ineffective.
The talks between President Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF party, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T and the smaller MDC-M formation of Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara are expected to resume on February 8.
But sources said not much was expected to come out of the talks with the two main protagonists, ZANU PF and MDC-T, said to be poles apart on the main issues at the core of the power-sharing dispute.
And the language of negotiators suggested that even they were beginning to lose hope that they can ever be able to break the deadlock - at least not by themselves alone.
Asked when the talks will resume MDC-M Priscilla Misihairwambwi-Mushonga's response had more a ring of frustration than optimism: "We will regroup when all of us are ready. At the moment some negotiators are not ready," she said.
Tendai Biti, secretary general of MDC-T and the coalition government's Finance Minister, did not mince his words, accusing ZANU PF of intransigency during the talks.
"There is also deadlock on Bennett and the selection of national heroes," said Biti. "We are likely to meet on 8 February but if the truth be told ZANU PF has not moved an inch. ZANU PF is not moving at all on the outstanding issues," he said.
ZANU PF chief negotiator Patrick Chinamasa was not immediately available for comment on the matter.
But Zimbabwe's former sole ruling party insists it has played its part to uphold the 2008 power-sharing deal that gave birth to the coalition government. ZANU PF instead accuses its main rival MDC-T of reneging on promises to campaign for lifting of Western sanctions on Mugabe and his top allies
On its part the MDC-T - which last week rejected suggestions by South African President Jacob Zuma that it shelves some of its demands - accuses Mugabe of flouting the power-sharing pact after the veteran leader refused to rescind his unilateral appointment of two of his allies to the key posts of central bank governor and attorney general.
The former opposition is also unhappy that Mugabe is refusing to swear into government its treasurer Roy Bennett, while the veteran President has also refused to appoint MDC members as provincial governors.
The talks have dragged on since Mugabe and his former foes agreed to join hands last February in a coalition government that has been credited with stabilising the country's economy to improve the lives of Zimbabweans.
Zuma, the Southern African Development Community's mediator in Zimbabwe, is expected to step into the fray should the Harare parties formally declare a deadlock. - ZimOnline.