Zimbabwe opposition party not ready to negotiate
JOHANNESBURG - Zimbabwe's main opposition party said it would not sign an accord paving the way for talks to end the country's political crisis until South African mediators address its concerns, but regional officials yesterday appeared optimistic that a breakthrough was possible.
Pressure has been building for a negotiated settlement to the dispute over Zimbabwe's June 27 runoff election, which President Robert Mugabe won by a landslide after his challenger, Morgan Tsvangirai, pulled out because of violence and intimidation against his supporters.
The post-election tension and uncertainty has worsened the country's already desperate economic situation, with inflation of well over 2 million percent, chronic shortages of basic food and other commodities, and unemployment at about 80 percent.
Yesterday, both sides publicly appeared to be digging in on their positions. Mugabe's government took aim at Western countries supporting sanctions against Harare's ruling elite by saying it would transfer ownership of Western-owned firms to local people and investors from "friendly countries," said the Sunday Mail, Zimbabwe's state-owned newspaper.
Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba, confirmed the government's drive against Western firms, which it has in the past accused of creating false shortages of basic commodities and unnecessarily pushing up prices.
"We are anxious to understand the behavior of corporate bodies and whether this [shortages and price increases] owes to market imperatives or political obligation of the foreign investors," Charamba told the Sunday Mail.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said yesterday that it would not sign a deal paving the way for talks with Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF until President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, who has mediated the crisis, addressed its concerns over guidelines for the negotiations.
"I think in principle the decision is to sign the document. We are committed to the dialogue process," said MDC spokesman George Sibotshiwe.
"Our executive and council have already gone through the document and have raised their concerns with the facilitator. . . . The onus is on the facilitator to ensure that those things are sorted out in order for the signing to happen within the required time."
The MDC has refused to recognize Mugabe's victory, insisting Tsvangirai won the first vote outright in March, although official figures showed he did not get the absolute majority needed to avoid a run-off.
MDC sources had said on Saturday that Tsvangirai might sign a memorandum of understanding on talks as early as today. But Mukoni Ratshitanga, a spokesman for Mbeki, said he was not aware of any plans by Mbeki to travel to Zimbabwe.
