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From: as on 16 Dec 2009 06:06
MDC wants to declare talks deadlock

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Stanley Chikomba Tuesday, 15 December 2009 12:10

Negotiators of the country's three main political parties are said to
have agreed on fifteen of the 21 outstanding issues threatening the
shaky coalition government but the MDC wants a deadlock to be declared
on the remaining ones, sources close to the talks say.

The sources told The Zimbabwean newspaper this week that the parties
have agreed on 15 items out of an expanded list of issues tabled when
the parties resumed talks after the SADC Troika meeting held in Maputo
last month. "They have agreed on most of the issues and have presented
a progress report to the three principals and now await direction on
how to proceed on the remaining issues," said the source.

Among the crucial issues that have been agreed are media reform, pirate
radio stations, audit of the land reform programme among others. The
parties are however still deadlocked on the issue of sanctions,
appointment of Attorney General, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor,
provincial governors, Roy Bennett and security sector reform.

The MDC party led by Prime Minister Tsvangirai is said to have declared
a deadlock on these outstanding issues and want them referred to SADC
for a determination. But President Robert Mugabe is insisting that the
talks be given more time. He met Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and
his Deputy Arthur Mutambara met on Monday and agreed to give the
negotiators more time to thrush out a workable deal before declaring a
deadlock.

The negotiators are now set to resume the final talks on Friday. On the
other hand the three principals have agreed to make an announcement on
what has been agreed next week upon Mugabe's return from Copenhagen
where he went to attend the ongoing climate change talks.

"The MDC wanted the negotiators to declare a deadlock and have the
matter referred to SADC but Mugabe is said to have asked his colleagues
to give the talks more time," said the source.

At his party's just ended congress Mugabe asked the SADC appointed
mediator, Jacob Zuma, to be patient insisting that any issues agreed in
the ongoing power-sharing negotiations would only be implemented when
MDC calls for the lifting of Western sanctions on Mugabe and his
loyalists.

When approached for a comment one of the negotiators, Welshman Ncube,
of the MDC party led by Mutambara said he an not talk about the
deliberations ofeh talks but said, "We are still negotiating and we
have no timetable." SADC Troika last month asked Zimbabwe's political
leaders to engage in dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues in the
implementation of last year's power-sharing agreement or global
political agreement (GPA). Some of the outstanding issues include
Mugabe's refusal to rescind his unilateral appointment of two of his
top allies to head Zimbabwe's central bank and the attorney general's
office.

Mugabe has also refused to swear in Tsvangirai ally Roy Bennett as
deputy agriculture minister while the Prime Minister's MDC-T party is
also unhappy by what it says is selective application of the law to
target its activists and officials.

On the other hand ZANU PF, which insists that it has met all its
obligations under the GPA, accuses the MDC-T of not living up to a
promise to lead a campaign for lifting of Western sanctions against
Mugabe and members of his inner circle.

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