Mugabe to convene Zimbabwe parliament

Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe intends to open parliament next week for the first time since MPs were elected four months ago, threatening to undermine power-sharing talks.

MPs are to be sworn in on Monday and Mugabe will open their session on Tuesday, state radio announced.

However, the main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said he did not believe Mugabe would be able to open parliament.

"Convening parliament is in violation of some of the things in (an agreement he and Mugabe signed last month that opened the way to power-sharing talks)," Mr Tsvangirai said, adding such a violation would "have to be dealt with by the mediator", South African president Thabo Mbeki.

However, Mugabe can argue Zimbabwe's neighbours have endorsed his move. At a weekend summit, leaders of the Southern African Development Community pressed Zimbabwe's factions to complete the power-sharing negotiations and said "that while negotiations are continuing, it may be necessary to convene parliament to give effect to the will of the people as expressed in the parliamentary elections".

The opposition won the most parliament seats in March, putting Mugabe's ZANU-PF party in the minority for the first time since independence in 1980.

However, presidential elections held alongside the parliament vote were disputed, and Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai are in power-sharing talks to try to resolve the impasse.

By convening parliament, Mugabe may be hoping to pressure the main opposition into making concessions.

Both Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai need the support of a smaller opposition faction to control parliament, and that faction has indicated it was ready to work with ZANU-PF.

Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change holds 100 seats; six short of a majority in the 210-member house. Of the remaining seats, ZANU-PF has 99, a breakaway MDC faction has 10, and an independent politician who recently left ZANU-PF has one.

If ZANU-PF were to control parliament, Mr Tsvangirai's position in the power-sharing talks would be weakened.

A main obstacle to a power-sharing agreement has been the issue of what role Mugabe would play in a unity government.

Mr Tsvangirai told regional leaders at the weekend summit he wanted to be a powerful prime minister. His proposal would leave the presidency to Mugabe, but endow the office with few powers.