Tsvangirai said on paper there was nothing wrong with the power-sharing deal but admitted a government comprising his MDC party, President Robert Mugabe’
s ruling ZANU PF party and a breakaway faction of the MDC led by Arthur Mutambara would encounter problems because of a lack of trust among parties involved.
“If we get to form the government we will, from the start, have a problem of trust,” Tsvangirai told about 20 000 supporters at a Saturday rally in the second largest city of Bulawayo.
Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara agreed in talks mediated by former South African President Thabo Mbeki to form a power-sharing government to tackle Zimbabwe’s long running political and economic crisis.
But failure by the three rivals to agree how to share powerful Cabinet posts has intensified doubt over whether the power-sharing deal clinched after seven weeks of tortuous negotiations could stand the strain given deep-seated mistrust, especially between Mugabe and Tsvangirai.
The Zimbabwean political leaders hope to end the deadlock over Cabinet posts at a summit in Swaziland on Monday of the Southern African Development Community’s security troika.
Tsvangirai – who has in the past defended the deal as the best compromise that could have been achieved under present circumstances – said he hoped the deal could be made to work.
“We agreed to go to SADC (summit in Swaziland), so we’re going on Monday. We want this marriage to work. If we agree to everyone’s satisfaction, we will return and form a government,” said Tsvangirai whose rally was to update supporters on the stalled talks to form a unity government.
Turning to why four days of talks last week had failed to produce a result, Tsvangirai – who labelled the talks a dialogue of the deaf – blamed intransigence by Mugabe whom he said simply refused to negotiate.
It was a dialogue of the deaf. It was a one-man monologue. Mugabe does not negotiate and was refusing to negotiate. He was saying no to everything,
Tsvangirai said.
The opposition leader said Mugabe would during talks reject proposals by the MDC but would at the same time refuse to offer alternative suggestions.
He was saying no to our demands and other issues, he was also refusing to offer any suggestions to break the deadlock, said Tsvangirai.
The creation of a power-sharing government is seen as the first step to ending Zimbabwe’s decade-long recession that is seen in the world’s highest inflation of 231 million percent, deepening poverty amid shortages of food and every basic survival commodity.
 ZimOnline.
Post published in: News