No deal after 14-hour marathon session
August 11, 2008
President Mbeki (R) welcomed by President Mugabe on Saturday.
By Raymond Maingire
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s feuding political parties failed to reach common ground Sunday after a marathon session lasting more than 14 hours of intense haggling over an elusive power-sharing deal.
It has emerged that the two parties failed to iron out the so-called sticky points that have delayed the conclusion of the two-week old negotiations.
The talks are set to continue this Monday morning.
The veil of secrecy that has dominated the talks continued Sunday after both the negotiating parties maintained a complete blackout on the progress of the talks.
Talks between the two parties began in earnest two weeks ago after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding that bound President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF and the two opposition MDC parties led by Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara to a two-week process of continuous negotiation.
Negotiators from Zanu-PF and the MDC spent two weeks in Pretoria and came back last Thursday night with a draft proposal for a power-sharing deal.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, the chief negotiator in the crisis talks flew into Zimbabwe Saturday evening to help conclude the deal.
Hopes were high that the signing of a power-sharing deal would materialise Sunday after the two parties gave statements during the week that the talks were proceeding well.
But the South African leader failed to diffuse the tensions between the two parties even with the bringing together of the three principals at the same negotiating table.
The talks began at 9 am on Sunday on the 16th floor of Harare’s Rainbow Towers and went right up to 01:30 hrs on Monday morning.
Anxious journalists who spent the entire 16 hours hoping to capture the most defining moment in Zimbabwe’s 10 year old crisis were disappointed after all the parties to the talks failed to disclose what was delaying the signing of the deal.
President Mugabe, who was the first to emerge from the elevator to the ground floor of the luxury hotel where the talks are taking place, said the talks would continue in the morning.
“No, we have not concluded,” he said. “We are hoping to finish tomorrow (today).”
Asked if there had been any sticking points issues, Mugabe said: “Yes there will always be sticking points in any dialogue.”
Tsvangirai, who emerged 10 minutes later also refused to shed any light as to what had been discussed.
“No comment,” he said as he struggled to find his way through a throng of journalists, “I suppose President Mbeki is going to give comment.”
Mutambara said the talks are continuing today.
“The talks are work in progress. We are continuing tomorrow morning,” he said.
Nicholas Goche, one of the Zanu-PF chief negotiators said the talks would continue after 10 am after the parties attend today’s Heroes Day commemoration ceremony at Heroes’ Acre.
It was not clear if Tsvangirai, who has often stayed away from national events, would attend the celebrations. It had been speculated earlier that Tsvangirai and Mugabe would seal the signing of the agreement on Sunday by making a joint appearance on Monday at a national ceremony that over the years has become an exclusively Zanu-PF affair.
Close followers of the crisis talks say what could be delaying the talks could be the roles to be played by both President Mugabe and Tsvangirai.
Mugabe feels he should be the dominant figure in the proposed structure on the strength of the result of the June 27 presidential run-off which he won in the absence of a challenger after Tsvangirai withdrew his candidature, citing widespread violence.
The Zimbabwean leader, who lost the first round of the elections on March 29, went on against local and international pressure to declare himself winner in an election in which he was the only candidate.
On the other hand, the MDC leader feels any package between the two parties should proceed on the basis of the outcome of the March 29 election, which he won.
The MDC leader however failed to garner the 50 per cent plus majority needed for him to become President.
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Dont give in Morgan Tsvangirai. if he wants to hold on to power let him rule. We have suffered enough in the hands of Mugabe. There is no need to give him r life line. We gave him an honourable exit but he keeps playing games , if he is not careful he will go to Hague with his JOC which is bringing the country down.
Right on Tsvangirai! You successfully rescued Biti and others, now even if you do nothing, they will come to you. You deserve the status of calling the shots. They may have guns and apologetic poltical analiysts. You have all Zimbabweans on your side, all tribes, all races, all religious sects, in fact everyone throughout the world. Your persecutors are shaking with fear. It is awesome the whole world is uneasy about the massive potential of a democratic Tsvangirai led government. I wonder why?
I agree with you Musemwa, this is the MDC’s time and Tsvangirai must show Zanu-PF now who exactly is calling the shots. Otherwise if they agree to be dictated to or bullied now what stops Zanu-PF from cheating even more after the signing? Its now or never. Hold out!
Robert Mugabe is in a corner where he can not extricate himself without the help of Tsvangirai. He needs Tsvangirai more than Tsvangirai needs him. If Mugabe continues to be unreasonable by insisting that he should be the dominant figure in the proposed structure on the strength of the result of the June 27 presidential run-off which he claims to have won by inciting violence, Tsvangirai should simply leave the negotiation table. Tsvangirai has nothing to lose if he leaves the talks today, but not for Mugabe. Simply put, the MDC should not give too many concessions to a dying horse.
The MDC did garner the 50 percent plus to win the election in March. Mugabe fixed the results. Remember? Apparently, some here have very selective memory.
The MDC must not become complacent here. We Zimbabweans need to remember these sobering words spoken by Mugabe (all quotes are from the Zimbawe Times article June 20 2008):
“The MDC will never be allowed to rule this country,”
“Never, ever will that happen in my lifetime. Only God who appointed me will remove me from power and not the MDC and the British.
“Even Romans 13 says leaders are appointed by God. I am an image of God who appointed me to my current position.”
The will of the people should be respected. People voted for an MDC led government and that should be the outcome of the talks. I do not think Mbeki can facilitate such an outcome. Mbeki favors Zanu-PF and is not strong enough to express the will of Zimbabweans. Mbeki should step down. He has been mediating for 8 years and nothing came out besides deaths caused by Zanu-PF thugs. Tsvangirai should not give in. If Mugabe is not ready to hand over power then he should go ahead and run the gov without the MDC. What is needed are neutral facilitators not Mbeki. What is it that Zanu-PF wants to do henceforth that they did not do in the last 28 years? Killing all Zimbabweans?