ZIMBABWE’S political foes, Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai could today- for the first time come in many years come face to face as they sign a momentous memorandum.
If they agree to sign, this would see two-week intensive talks – mainly on the government of national unity – commencing in South Africa on Wednesday.
Both parties have agreed in principle on some kind of power-sharing, but differed on the exact details of the shape of such a government and on who will lead it.
Movement for Democratic Change leader Tsvangirai on Sunday night refused to divulge whether he would personally attend the signing ceremony in Harare or if his party would agree to the contents of the memorandum of understanding.
A source close to the negotiations cautioned that there was a clause in the memorandum for parties to refrain from speaking to the media, but “as far as we are concerned, this is going to be a spectacular moment for Zimbabweans”.
An MDC insider said they were still waiting for the facilitator to give them the final copy of the memorandum in order to scrutinise the finer details, but he was confident that the signing would go ahead.
Another source said a meeting of the top executives of Tsvangirai’s main MDC faction was under way on Sunday night to “iron out internal disagreement” and convince the party leader to attend the ceremony.
However, Tsvangirai klast night said “Wait and see if we will sign. I don’t know.”
But he said on Saturday that “there are still a number of things we asked for that aren’t there”.
He was optimistic on Friday that he would sign after Thabo Mbeki agreed on a reference group that included African Union commissioner Jean Ping, UN envoy Haile Menkerios and Angolan Deputy Foreign Minister George Chikote, as well as South African facilitators.
While hopes are high for a breakthrough to bring political opponents in Zimbabwe to agree on final terms for substantive negotiations, it was not clear whether President Robert Mugabe and rival Morgan Tsvangirai would come face to face on Monday to sign a momentous memorandum.
If they agree to sign, this would see two-week intensive talks – mainly on the government of national unity – commencing in South Africa on Wednesday.
Both parties have agreed in principle on some kind of power-sharing, but differed on the exact details of the shape of such a government and on who will lead it.
Movement for Democratic Change leader Tsvangirai on Sunday night refused to divulge whether he would personally attend the signing ceremony in Harare or if his party would agree to the contents of the memorandum of understanding.
A source close to the negotiations cautioned that there was a clause in the memorandum for parties to refrain from speaking to the media, but “as far as we are concerned, this is going to be a spectacular moment for Zimbabweans”.
An MDC insider said they were still waiting for the facilitator to give them the final copy of the memorandum in order to scrutinise the finer details, but he was confident that the signing would go ahead.
Another source said a meeting of the top executives of Tsvangirai’s main MDC faction was under way on Sunday night to “iron out internal disagreement” and convince the party leader to attend the ceremony.
However, Tsvangirai dismissively told The Star on Sunday night: “Wait and see if we will sign. I don’t know.”
But he said on Saturday that “there are still a number of things we asked for that aren’t there”.
He was optimistic on Friday that he would sign after President Thabo Mbeki agreed on a reference group that included African Union commissioner Jean Ping, UN envoy Haile Menkerios and Angolan Deputy Foreign Minister George Chikote, as well as South African facilitators.
The memorandum is understood to set out conditions for talks about talks, containing procedures, a clear agenda and a time frame in which talks are to be completed.
Zanu-PF has said it’s open to power-sharing – as long as Mugabe heads any coalition. The opposition says publicly it’s open to what it calls a “government of national healing,” but only with moderate Zanu-PF members, not Mugabe.
Some say it would only prolong Zimbabwe’s agony, while others see a coalition – perhaps with Mugabe as president and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai as prime minister or vice-president – as the only way to lead the nation out of the impasse and begin reversing its economic collapse.
