Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party called yesterday for fresh elections if talks remained deadlocked between rival factions of the frayed power-sharing government.

The appeal cast fresh doubt on the future of the unity government, which turned one year old Thursday amid persistent quarrels between Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and long-time President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF.

The two leaders are feuding over the key posts of attorney general and central bank governor, as well as Mr Mugabe's refusal to swear in a top Tsvangirai ally as deputy agriculture minister.

"In our view it's a deadlock. We realise there is disenchantment among the people. The people would want to see finality to these issues. If the deadlock persists then our trajectory is to have free and fair elections," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told journalists in Harare.

"Zanu-PF are trying to employ the tool of delaying, so that we continue to talk about talks until Christmas. We need to put a full-stop to negotiations," Mr Chamisa said.

A Zanu-PF spokesman said he had no comment on the MDC's statements.

Mr Chamisa said fresh elections should come when the conditions are made right by a new constitution. He also called for strict media regulations to be relaxed and for changes to the electoral laws.