ZIMBABWE:ZIMBABWE'S RULING regime and opposition parties are edging closer to sealing a historic powersharing agreement, South African newspapers reported yesterday.
After more than two weeks of negotiations, the parties are said to be working out the finer details of the agreement after meeting with the crisis's regional mediator South African president, Thabo Mbeki, last week to overcome an impasse that threatened the whole process.
According to the Starnewspaper, the powersharing agreement could see opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai installed as the country's new prime minister and President Robert Mugabe given a ceremonial presidential position.
"They are down to detail now," a source is quoted as saying in the Johannesburg newspaper, "although how long that will take is still unclear. But a deal is not far off".
A second publication, the respected Business Daynewspaper, also indicated the talks were at an advanced stage, although it suggested a more even distribution of power among the parties was the most likely outcome.
Sources told the newspaper that negotiators were focusing on a proposal based on the hybrid French system, which has positions of president and prime minister. The proposal also deals with implementation mechanisms and global political engagement.
Mr Mbeki is also said to be anxious to ensure the final deal would be endorsed by everyone, not only Zimbabweans, because of the need to secure finance from western powers for the reconstruction of the country's shattered economy.
Countries like the United States and Great Britain have remained sceptical of the powersharing talks and hostile to Mr Mugabe's regime. Both increased sanctions against Zimbabwe's ruling regime just after the talks began.
It was becoming increasingly likely, the sources told Business Day, that Mr Tsvangirai would become prime minister, while Mr Mugabe would remain president in a powersharing pact. There would be at least two vice-presidents and two deputy prime ministers drawn from the three negotiating parties.
The talks were allegedly adjourned last week until Sunday after the Movement for Democratic Change and Zanu-PF became deadlocked over who would have the real power in a unity government.
If the leaked information from the talks proves accurate, the deal should bring an end to the bitter and often violent political stand-off, which has brought the country to a virtual standstill.
Although government and MDC officials were unavailable to confirm yesterday's reports, Zimbabwe's state media described a recent expansion of the negotiation teams as a good omen.
Zimbabwe has been in the grip of a political crisis since the disputed presidential election on March 29th last, which Mr Tsvangirai won, but not by a majority. The MDC leader pulled out of the June 27th run-off with Mr Mugabe due to state-sponsored violence.
Mr Mugabe went on to contest the election as the sole candidate and, despite international condemnation, was declared the winner.