Zimbabwe Opposition Prepared To Change Stance on Mugabe Talks
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
HARARE — Zimbabwe’s opposition is prepared to drop its demand that all violence against its supporters must cease before any substantive talks with President Mugabe’s regime can begin, according to sources in the Movement for Democratic Change.
The precondition had been a mantra since Mr Mugabe’s “victory” in last month’s one-candidate election. The MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, boycotted the vote due to constant violence against his supporters by the ruling Zanu-PF party.
Only last week, as the two sides met for “talks about talks” in South Africa, Mr. Tsvangirai said: “No negotiations can take place while the Zanu-PF regime continues to wage war on my party and the people of Zimbabwe. This position has not changed.”
But sources said that the MDC could sign a “memorandum of understanding” with Zanu-PF as early as today.
There would be no preconditions by either side and the agreement would provide for the formal opening of talks between Mr. Mugabe’s regime and the opposition. This would be a crucial setback for Britain’s efforts to isolate Mr. Mugabe.
Any further attempts to tighten the screw on Zimbabwe’s regime could be scuppered by fears that they would undermine the talks. This was the argument used by Russia and China last week when they vetoed the U.N. resolution, which would have imposed a global travel ban on Mr. Mugabe. While these talks would ease pressure on Mr. Mugabe, the MDC believes that they are bound to fail. The party’s secretary-general and chief negotiator, Tendai Biti, said that a two-week time limit should be put on the meetings.
He has told colleagues that Zanu-PF would not negotiate seriously and was only willing to offer a few cabinet posts in a “government of national unity” run by Mr. Mugabe. “The MDC has to be seen to be doing everything to go along with negotiations,” a party source said. “But we all know that Zanu-PF will not budge on real issues of governance, hence the two-week time limit. The MDC has time, Zanu-PF does not have time. So we can wait.”
Violence against MDC supporters is still continuing, albeit at a lower level than before the election. More than 1,000 party supporters remain in detention.
