Pressure mounts on Tsvangirai to agree power-sharing deal

Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader faced mounting pressure today to agree to a power-sharing government with President Robert Mugabe.

But Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) president Morgan Tsvangirai insisted that any deal must reflect “the will of the people.”

“We need a government that transfers power to the elected representatives of the people to carry out the people’s mandate for change,” he said.

Mr Tsvangirai left South African-mediated talks with Mr Mugabe and the leader of a smaller opposition faction last night, prompting speculation that he had walked out, but in his statement today, he said negotiations would continue.

South African President Thabo Mbeki said the adjournment was meant to give Mr Tsvangirai “more time to reflect”.

He told journalists in Angola – where he made a brief visit after the Zimbabwe talks – that the negotiations were on the right track.

Mr Tsvangirai said that Mr Mugabe must make a sign of good faith and end his ban on international humanitarian aid agencies imposed earlier this year, after he claimed they were a tool of unfriendly Western governments.

“Our people continue to face a profound humanitarian crisis. This destructive policy of banning humanitarian assistance can be reversed with one letter,” Mr Tsvangirai said, demanding that Mr Mbeki pressure Mr Mugabe to agree to this at a summit of regional leaders this weekend.

Mr Mugabe’s land reform policies have ruined the country’s once-thriving agricultural sector, and the country’s economy has collapsed.

“Tragically, Zimbabwe has become one of the worst man-made humanitarian disasters of a new and hopeful century,” Mr Tsvangirai said, commenting that at least two million Zimbabweans have fled abroad and an estimated half million died of starvation, malnutrition and preventable disease.

“Because of the failed policies of Zanu-PF, five million Zimbabweans now face starvation and famine. We cannot allow this to happen,” he said.

Mr Tsvangirai won the first round of presidential elections in March, though not by an outright majority. He boycotted the runoff in June because of massive violence and intimidation blamed on Mugabe loyalists.

The state run Herald newspaper signalled today that Mr Mugabe would go ahead and form a government, with or without Mr Tsvangirai. It said that parliament would soon sit.

Mr Mbeki earlier told a news conference in Harare that there was one key sticking point, which he did not identify. He said that Mr Mugabe and third negotiator Arthur Mutambara, leader of a smaller opposition faction, were in agreement on this, leaving Mr Tsvangirai as the sole holdout.

The most contentious issue has been the amount of control 84-year-old Mr Mugabe is prepared to cede. Mr Mugabe reportedly wants to keep his authority as president, while Mr Tsvangirai reportedly wants executive powers as prime minister, including the right to chair Cabinet meetings.