Tsvangirai still committed to talks

Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said yesterday he was still committed to power-sharing negotiations after three days of talks with President Robert Mugabe broke off without a deal.

In a statement, Mr Tsvangirai said Zimbabwe's post-election government should be based on the March 29 first-round presidential election - which he won, but not by a clear majority.

Negotiations followed Mr Mugabe's unopposed re-election in June in a poll from which Mr Tsvangirai withdrew because of attacks on his supporters. The ballot was condemned around the world. Key to the negotiations is who gets which leadership positions and with which powers.

Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai met in Harare for three days in the latest round. It ended on Tuesday night without reaching agreement, dimming hopes of an end to a post election crisis that has worsened Zimbabwe's economic decline.

"The MDC remains committed to participating in any meaningful and genuine dialogue that urgently moves this process forward," Mr Tsvangirai said in the emailed statement. "We are committed to a solution that recognizes that the people spoke on the 29th of March 2008 - a solution that ensures tangible deliverables are put on the table of Zimbabweans. A solution must thus put the people first, not leadership positions and titles."

South African President Thabo Mbeki, the chief mediator, said overnight that the leader of the smaller MDC faction, Arthur Mutambara, had agreed to power-sharing with Mugabe. Mr Mutambara says he has not signed a deal.

Mr Mbeki said an agreement can still be reached soon despite the failure to get a deal at the marathon negotiations. "We are indeed convinced that it is possible to conclude these negotiations quite quickly," Mr Mbeki, the chief mediator in the negotiations, told reporters in the Angolan capital Luanda.

Mr Mbeki appealed for patience, saying the crucial issue of leadership positions was still under discussion. "They are working on a truly inclusive government," he said.