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'End in sight' for Zimbabwe talks Zimbabwe foes 'near cabinet deal'
(about 1 hour later)
The chief negotiator for Zimbabwe's opposition party has said he is hopeful a power-sharing agreement can be reached with President Robert Mugabe. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and a top opposition official have said a deal could be reached shortly to name a power-sharing government.
MDC General Secretary Tendai Biti was speaking at the end of a second day of talks in Harare aimed at rescuing a deadlocked power-sharing deal. One of Mr Mugabe's officials says changes could be made to the cabinet posts named last week, the state-owned Herald newspaper reports.
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki is mediating the discussions. However, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was less optimistic, saying the talks had been "quite circuitous".
The country's leaders have yet to reach agreement over how key cabinet posts should be divided between the parties. Former South Africa leader Thabo Mbeki has led two days of crisis talks.
Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the MDC - the Movement for Democratic Change - had threatened to pull out of the negotiations after Mr Mugabe gave key ministries to officials from his own party. Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai signed a deal to share power last month but they have since been unable to agree on which party should hold which cabinet posts.
Mr Tsvangirai described the proceedings on Wednesday as "quite circuitous" and said there were still matters to be resolved. Last weekend, Mr Mugabe allocated all the key posts to Zanu-PF, prompting Mr Tsvangirai to threaten to pull out of the agreement and Mr Mbeki to fly to Harare on Monday.
As he left the talks, Mr Biti told reporters he believed a deal was possible and could come on Thursday "if you pray hard". But the mood seemed to have changed during Wednesday's talks.
"History is being made and mountains are being moved," he said. 'Compromise'
Mr Mugabe also said he believed progress had been made and that discussions would finish on Thursday. "We have made some progress and we will finish tomorrow," Mr Mugabe said after talks ended, the Herald reports.
'No conclusion' "History is being made and mountains are being moved," said Tendai Biti, General Secretary of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Police patrolled in the capital, Harare, as parliament met on Tuesday
He said a deal could come on Thursday "if you pray hard".
The Herald quotes an unnamed Zanu-PF official as saying: "There could be some changes to the list [of ministry allocations] gazetted last week as the parties find each other and make compromises for the sake of progress."
The talks began on Tuesday as Zimbabwe's parliament held its first working session under opposition control since disputed elections earlier this year.The talks began on Tuesday as Zimbabwe's parliament held its first working session under opposition control since disputed elections earlier this year.
MPs heckled each other at the opening. We have covered some ground President Robert Mugabe class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7668172.stm">Crunch time for Mbeki's legacy class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7641533.stm">Harare diary: Daydreaming over class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=5484&edition=2">Send us your comments MPs heckled each other at the opening. Mr Mugabe had earlier allocated the main ministries, including defence, home, foreign affairs, and justice, to his Zanu-PF party.
Mr Mugabe had earlier allocated the main ministries, including defence, home, foreign affairs, and justice, to his Zanu-PF party.
Mr Tsvangirai wants all cabinet positions to be revisited in discussions with Mr Mbeki.Mr Tsvangirai wants all cabinet positions to be revisited in discussions with Mr Mbeki.
But Zanu-PF says only one ministry - finance - is up for discussion.But Zanu-PF says only one ministry - finance - is up for discussion.
According to the original deal - which allocates 15 ministries to Zanu-PF, 13 to the MDC and three to a smaller MDC faction - only Zanu-PF has a ministerial seat vacant.According to the original deal - which allocates 15 ministries to Zanu-PF, 13 to the MDC and three to a smaller MDC faction - only Zanu-PF has a ministerial seat vacant.
Mr Mbeki is in Zimbabwe as a private citizen, trying to save the deal that he brokered shortly before resigning as South African president at the end of September.Mr Mbeki is in Zimbabwe as a private citizen, trying to save the deal that he brokered shortly before resigning as South African president at the end of September.
While the power-sharing crisis continues, life for normal Zimbabweans remains a constant struggle, the BBC's Jonah Fisher reports from neighbouring South Africa.While the power-sharing crisis continues, life for normal Zimbabweans remains a constant struggle, the BBC's Jonah Fisher reports from neighbouring South Africa.
Two million people are currently in need of food aid, with that figure set to increase to almost half the population over the next three months, our correspondent says.Two million people are currently in need of food aid, with that figure set to increase to almost half the population over the next three months, our correspondent says.