Talks adjourned until after Heroes Day celebrations

President Robert Mugabe, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his opposite number Arthur Mutambara adjourned midnight after inconclusive talks that lasted 14 hours on the 16th Floor of the Rainbow Towers yesterday.We have not finished, Mugabe told reporters. We obviously have sticking points like in any talks, but we look forward to overcome them. We will continue tomorrow. Mbeki was expected to issue a press statement early today. Tsvangirai referred reporters to that press statement for details. The talks were expected to continue at 14:00 hrs. A source said a deal was moments away and confirmed Tsvangirai was the next prime minister but how much power he would wield was the point of disagreement yesterday. A ballroom where the Memorandum of Understanding was signed on July 21 has been immaculately decorated and the signing ceremony is expected to  be  held in there, suggesting a power-sharing deal was inevitable. Even from Mugabe’s body language, he appeared in high spirits, so did Tsvangirai. The deal is expected to heal a deeply divided nation and rescue an economy in free fall. But much depends on the nature of the deal that would be brokered by President Thabo Mbeki, who has been facilitating the delicate talks.