Mbeki confident of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe

Jul 29, 2007, 14:27 GMT

Johannesburg - Southern Africa's mediator in the political crisis in Zimbabwe South African President Thabo Mbeki on Sunday expressed confidence that free and fair elections would be held in the troubled country in 2008.

Mbeki, who was appointed by the Southern African Development Community to broker talks between the ruling ZANU-PF of authoritarian President Robert Mugabe and the opposition MDC, said the two parties had reached agreement on the need for credible polls, SAPA news agency reported.

Talks between the two parties on how to achieve that end were still ongoing, he was quoted as saying in Pretoria.

Disastrous policies and drought have resulted in Zimbabwe's worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1980.

Unemployment is running at around 80 per cent, inflation at over 4,500 per cent and 4 million Zimbabweans could need food aid by early next year, according to the United Nations. Opposition politicians and civil society activists who protest government policies are routinely detained and beaten.

Mbeki's mediation efforts were dealt a blow earlier this month when two ZANU-PF negotiators failed to show up in South Africa for the beginning of substantive talks with MDC officials.

A main sticking point in the talks is said to be the MDC's calls for a new constitution under which to hold parliamentary and presidential polls.

ZANU-PF is insisting on constitutional amendments instead. One such amendment would see the ruling-party-dominated parliament pick Mugabe's successor if the 83-year-old leader stands down after the elections.