Mbeki Arrives In Harare For Power-Sharing Talks

HARARE - South African President Thabo Mbeki arrived in the Zimbabwean capital Harare on Monday in the latest bid to revive stalled power-sharing talks between the country's political rivals.

Mbeki, who was met on arrival by President Robert Mugabe, is expected to be in Harare for "at least two days," according to a South African diplomat.

He was to hold talks with Mugabe, opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and the leader of a small MDC offshoot, Arthur Mutambara, in an effort to end a deadlock which has delayed the formation of a new government in the impoverished country.

Talks deadlocked last month when the MDC, the biggest party in parliament following elections in March, balked at a proposal which would see President Robert Mugabe retain control of the country's security ministries.

Mbeki was appointed by the Southern African Development Community in July to mediate in the dispute.

It was unclear Monday whether Mbeki would meet the party leaders together or separately.

While the opposition was upbeat about the Mbeki visit, the ruling ZANU-PF and government officials declined to comment.

"We welcome President Mbeki's visit. We expect him as mediator to play the simple but important role of deflating the current impasse in the negotiations," said MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa.

"He should persuade ZANU-PF to abandon their meaningless hardline stance. The bottom line is people of Zimbabwe are suffering and they need a 'pain-stop' to come out of these talks," he said.

Mutambara's splinter group also said it was hopeful.

"If this meeting with Mbeki takes place, it will be a good opportunity for the leaders of this country to chart a new path for a new Zimbabwe. We are excited and hopeful," spokesman Edwin Mushoriwa told AFP.

"Zimbabwean people are anxious to see an end to this crisis which has dragged on for too long. We cannot continue to keep the people in suspense," he said.

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, the chief negotiator for ZANU-PF, would make no comment about the resumption of talks.

Mbeki's trip comes after Mugabe threatened last week to form a cabinet if Tsvangirai delayed signing a document to pave the way for a power-sharing deal.

Tsvangirai called on Sunday for fresh elections, supervised by international observers, if there was no breakthrough in the talks.

But he insisted he would only sign a deal that gives him "sufficient" power.

"We would rather have no deal than a bad deal," he said.

Speaking earlier at the same rally, Tsvangirai's deputy Tendai Biti said the talks had stalled over powers invested in the president by the current constitution.

"The president created in this constitution is a monarch, an imperial president," said Biti, the MDC's secretary-general.

"That's the sticking point," he said. "It's the issue of the powers of the president as enshrined in this constitution that is making these talks not to move forward."

The talks began after both sides signed a memorandum of understanding on July 21 in Harare.

Mugabe won a June 27 presidential run-off poll after the first-round winner Tsvangirai withdrew from the vote in protest at widespread election violence.