Zimbabwe talks stall amid deal rumours

Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader has quit power-sharing talks with president Robert Mugabe to consider a possible deal, it emerged today.

Morgan Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change, may be faced with an attempt to sideline him by a breakaway member of the party.

Arthur Mutambara has reportedly already signed an agreement with Mugabe to form a unity government.

Any deal that excluded Mr Tsvangirai is likely to bring protests from the West for allowing 84-year-old Mugabe to cling to an increasingly autocraticreign that has driven his once-thriving nation to economic ruin.

South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is mediating the talks, said today that negotiations had been adjourned to allow Mr Tsvangirai time.

After three days of talks, he said Mr Tsvangirai asked for “more time to reflect about this matter which the other two negotiators have agreed.

“But they need a bit of more time to reflect, so they will do that,” he said.

Details of the deal are not clear, but the key stumbling block in the talks has been how much power Mugabe is willing to cede to the opposition movement.

Mr Mbeki said the Zimbabwean parties “have said negotiations must continue.”

“I am quite certain that all the of the parties are determined to find a solution,” he said adding that the solution has to be “within the context of power-sharing negotiations.”

Mr Tsvangirai won the first round of presidential elections in March but boycotted the June run-off ballot in protest at widespread violence against opposition supporters.

Earlier, officials from the ruling party and the opposition movement said that Mugabe and Mr Mutambara had reached an agreement.

Mr Mutambara refused comment but he appeared confident as he left negotiations - in contrast to Mr Tsvangirai, who looked bleak.

Mugabe brushed off questions as he left the hotel. But he denied that the negotiations had failed.

“Talks will never collapse as long as we have tongues,” he said.