ZIMBABWE'S RIVAL political forces struck a powersharing agreement last night designed to end the country's post-election crisis.
Thabo Mbeki, South Africa's president, who had been mediating the talks between his Zimbabwe counterpart, Robert Mugabe, and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said agreement had been reached between both sides on all issues. He said a formal signing ceremony attended by regional leaders was expected to take place in Harare on Monday. He gave no further details.
Earlier, Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the MDC, said a deal had been signed with Mr Mugabe.
"A deal has been agreed this evening. More details will be available shortly," Mr Tsvangirai said in a telephone interview from Harare.
Mr Mbeki said, "I am absolutely certain that the leadership of Zimbabwe is committed to implementing these agreements . . . This is an outcome that comes out of decisions arrived at by the leadership of Zimbabwe."
The powersharing talks had long been deadlocked over the allocation of executive power between Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai.
The announcement of the deal came after a day in which Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai had both cast doubt on the prospects for a settlement.
Mr Mugabe said that the on/off talks, which restarted on Monday, "have not gone anywhere".
"We are still stuck at the same point where those from the [opposition] Movement for Democratic Change still want to govern.
"They want Mugabe to go," he added. "Where should I go? I can't go anywhere."
Mr Mugabe has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980.
Mr Tsvangirai had been reported to be "increasingly irritated" with what he saw as Mr Mbeki's one-sidedness as a mediator and his attempts to force all parties to meet a deadline set by the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
"Mbeki promised SADC he would wrap up an agreement by Friday and that is why he is piling on the pressure," said one MDC source.
The state-owned Herald newspaper, which reflects this hardline viewpoint, yesterday quoted an unnamed Zanu-PF official as saying: "The MDC is directly taking orders from British and American diplomats here - orders to get a deal that strips President Mugabe of all power and makes him a ceremonial head of state."
One western diplomat speaking before the announcement of the deal said that the last sticking point for any agreement was "the very same issues that resulted in deadlock last month", when Mr Tsvangirai walked out over Mr Mugabe's refusal to cede executive powers.
He said there had been three main sticking points: the inability of the two sides to agree a formula for sharing executive power; the MDC demand for a majority of cabinet seats; and its insistence that the deal cover a two-year transitional period rather than a full five-year parliamentary term. But last night they appear to have been overcome. - (Financial Times, additional reporting Reuters)