Talks between President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe’s opposition are deadlocked because the ruling party is refusing to implement a new transitional constitution, main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai claimed on Wednesday.
Tsvangirai, the leader of the main faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), accused the ruling party of pushing through only cosmetic reforms ahead of elections Mugabe says must be held in March.
”Mugabe and Zanu-PF want a false election,” Tsvangirai said. ”We are deadlocked on key issues that should enable us to cross the bridge into a new era.”
The opposition leader accused the ruling party of backtracking on key promises made during South African-brokered talks last year. The talks were part of an initiative by the regional Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc aimed at defusing rising tensions in once peaceful and prosperous Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is mired in its worst economic crisis since independence in 1980.
Thousands of Zimbabweans spent days in bank queues during the holidays, making it the worst Christmas season ever imagined, Tsvangirai said.
Mugabe and his government blame the crisis on alleged Western sanctions.
This week, the president’s spokesperson accused former colonial power Britain of sponsoring the economic rot, partly by providing refuge to officials accused of shady financial deals.
The opposition, however, lays the blame squarely with mismanagement by Mugabe, who turns 84 next month, and his cronies. South African President Thabo Mbeki was mandated early last year to bring the sides to the negotiating table and pave the way for free and fair elections this year.
Although key concessions appeared to have been made by both sides, including the watering down of tough press and security laws late last month, the opposition leader on Wednesday accused the ruling party of merely ”stringing [us] along”.
According to Tsvangirai, both sides had agreed on a transitional constitution that was to be implemented ahead of the polls. But Zanu-PF now insists the constitution will only come into force after the elections, he said.
”This is unacceptable,” said the opposition leader in a statement.
”They want to force an election in March and still rig the outcome through a flawed process.”
Tsvangirai hinted he could call for a national stayaway or other forms of protest if the deadlock persists. — Sapa-dpa