Talks between Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai aimed at rescuing a power-sharing deal ended without agreement today but are set to resume tomorrow.
"There was no conclusion in the discussions. We will continue tomorrow at 10.30 (8.30 GMT)," Mr Tsvangirai told reporters as he left a Harare hotel where the talks, mediated by former South African president Thabo Mbeki, were taking place.
The deal, brokered by Mr Mbeki last month, is in danger of collapsing over disagreements about cabinet posts. MDC leader Mr Tsvangirai threatened to pull out of it at the weekend after Mr Mugabe allocated key ministries to his Zanu-PF party.
Asked if the parties made any progress, Mr Mugabe said: "Continuing tomorrow means we have covered some area."
Arthur Mutambara, who heads a splinter MDC faction and is also taking part in the talks, said today's session was "very productive". He earlier expressed frustration over the stalled deal, which analysts say is Zimbabwe's best hope for halting a devastating economic crisis.
"The fact that we are here, bickering over cabinet posts is a travesty of justice. Mutambara, Mugabe and Tsvangirai should shape up or ship out," he told reporters.
Justice minister and Zanu-PF's chief negotiator in the power-sharing talks, Patrick Chinamasa, earlier told the state-run Herald newspaper he hoped Mbeki could offer new ideas.
"As far as we are concerned, the only contention is the Ministry of Finance," he said. Mugabe this weekend enraged the MDC by allocating the ministries of defence, home affairs - which oversees the police - and finance to his Zanu-PF party.
Zimbabwe's parliament began meeting today for the first time since it was officially opened by Mr Mugabe in August amid jeers and boos from MDC members.
Mr Mugabe's party was stripped of a majority for the first time since independence from Britain in 1980 after a March 29th election which the opposition says he rigged to retain power.
Reuters