Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe's war veteran allies accused opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai today of stalling power-sharing talks on orders from Western powers.
War veterans, backed by the army and ruling party militants called "green bombers," served as Mr Mugabe's political shock troops in his campaign to retain power in a widely condemned June election run-off which Mr Tsvangirai boycotted over attacks on his supporters.
Jabulani Sibanda, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association Chairman, said Mr Mugabe would never bow to what he called Mr Tsvangirai's attempts to grab more power in talks aimed at ending the crisis that has deepened since the election.
In remarks published today, Mr Tsvangirai said Mr Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF was to blame for the stalemate.
Political tensions rose yesterday after Mr Tsvangirai said Mr Mugabe's decision to go ahead with opening parliament next week was a "repudiation" of the basis for talks and he suggested Mr Mugabe might have decided to abandon negotiations.
"The war veterans, who are custodians of the country's revolution, welcome the convening of parliament set for next week," Mr Sibanda told state media, urging Mr Mugabe to form a new cabinet.
Mr Sibanda accused the West of engineering the impasse in the talks "so that their preferred leader takes over".
Western countries, key to the funding that Zimbabwe needs to emerge from economic collapse, have said they would only recognise a government led by Mr Tsvangirai. He defeated Mr Mugabe in a first round vote in March.
Mr Mugabe has often accused his old foe, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), of being a puppet of the United States and former colonial power Britain and ignoring Western sanctions he blames for Zimbabwe's economic decline. Mr Tsvangirai denies the accusations.
Mr Tsvangirai yesterday confirmed that the power sharing talks were deadlocked over the roles of president and prime minister in a new government.
Mr Mugabe is expected to remain as president but, backed by security chiefs, he is reluctant to cede key powers. Mr Tsvangirai wants a real executive power as prime minister.
"Tsvangirai keeps demanding more, and the more he demands the more (Western) sanctions are imposed so that we yield to his demands," said Mr Sibanda. "That is a condition that will never happen, a step that will never be taken by Zanu-PF as a party and the people of Zimbabwe."
Mr Tsvangirai suggested the talks could make progress if Zanu-PF showed some flexibility.
Both Mr Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF and Mr Tsvangirai's main MDC are under intense pressure from within Africa and around the world to reach an agreement that will pave the way for rebuilding Zimbabwe's devastated economy.
Reuters