Zimbabwe sides agree, face obstacles

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's political rivals have agreed on a draft constitutional amendment to allow them to form a power-sharing government, but obstacles remain, the opposition said yesterday.

Talks between President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC have made little progress since they reached a deal in September.

Negotiators from ZANU-PF, the Movement for Democratic Change, and a breakaway MDC faction have been meeting with mediator Thabo Mbeki in South Africa to discuss the amendment.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said talks had ended. ZANU-PF officials were not immediately available for comment.

The fact that the MDC appeared to be agreeing in principle to a cabinet suggested serious progress given the party's strong resistance so far, said Mark Schroeder, director of risk analysis for sub-Saharan Africa at Stratfor.

Eldred Masunungure, a political science professor at the University of Zimbabwe, said the sides were under pressure from regional leaders and the unraveling economy, but he added that a final agreement was not yet a certainty.

Chamisa said remaining issues included "the sharing of some cabinet posts, the appointment of provincial governors and other senior government positions, have not been resolved."

REUTERS