what should happen to robert mugawae & what do you think is eventually going to happen in zimbawae ? ( Archived) (2)

heres the latest news today !


By MacDonald Dzirutwe Reuters - Tuesday, August 12 02:34 pm
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's ruling party said power-sharing talks set to resume later on Tuesday risked collapse because of differences with the opposition over leadership positions.

Marathon talks between the ruling ZANU-PF and opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), seen as Zimbabwe's best chance to end a post-election crisis and raise hopes of economic recovery, have so far failed to secure a breakthrough.

After a second day of discussions, President Robert Mugabe told reporters and supporters on Monday there was progress in talks with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and breakaway MDC faction leader Arthur Mutambara. But a ZANU-PF official told Reuters the talks were in danger of failure.

"Tsvangirai is moving goal posts, forcing us to negotiate issues which we had already agreed upon," he said, referring to whether Mugabe would head a new unity government. An MDC source said Mugabe refuses to give up executive powers.

Talks began in July after Mugabe's unopposed re-election in a June poll condemned throughout the world as unfair and boycotted by Tsvangirai because of attacks on his supporters.

There are a host of formidable issues. First and foremost is whether Mugabe will be ready to give up powers that helped him keep a tight grip. Who will control security forces is another critical question.

Mugabe, who has increasingly relied on the army for support, conferred medals on 16 generals, three of them posthumously, in a ceremony on Tuesday honouring Zimbabwe's military.

The festivities could come in handy as Mugabe tries to keep powerful figures on his side during the crucial talks. The head of the Central Intelligence Organisation was also honoured.

CAUTION

"I suspect that long before we get to the summit there will be some decision coming out of Zimbabwe," Aziz Pahad, deputy foreign minister of South Africa, whose president Thabo Mbeki is chief mediator in the talks, told reporters in Pretoria.

Mbeki could score a political coup if a deal is reached before a weekend regional summit of the SADC group of nations. The South African leader has been under fire for not being tough with Mugabe, a policy he says would aggravate tensions.

Investors are likely to remain cautious even if there is a breakthrough, seeking reassurances that any new government can rescue what was once one of Africa's most promising economies and safeguard their money, analysts say.

Nic Borain, a political consultant at HSBC, said ZANU-PF and the opposition have few options.

"I don't foresee a total breakdown where there would essentially be war on the streets or at least very high levels of repression and exclusion," he told Reuters.

"I don't think they (talks) will remain on the rocks, because I think all the parties eventually have no way out of it other than talking to each other."

All eyes may soon be on Mutambara.

The former robotics professor is emerging as a key player in power-sharing talks, political analysts say. His MDC faction's members in parliament can bolster either Mugabe's ZANU-PF or Tsvangirai's main MDC party, which have almost equal numbers of seats in the lower house.

New York-based Human Rights Watch called on Tuesday on regional leaders to put pressure on Zimbabwe's government to stop what it called continued violence that threatens to undermine efforts to end the country's political turmoil.

It urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) group of countries to take a tough stand against the alleged abuses at an August 16 summit in South Africa.

In a report released in Johannesburg, Human Rights Watch said SADC should ensure Zimbabwe's police "immediately dismantle all torture camps and bases throughout the country and prosecute those responsible for torture and other mistreatment".

ZANU-PF denies allegations of political violence.