Mbeki scrambles to rescue Zimbabwe deal as assembly meets (1st Lead)

Oct 14, 2008, 10:53 GMT

Zimbabwe\'s prime minister designate and main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai addresses supporters at a rally in Harare, Zimbabwe, 12 October 2008. EPA/STR

Harare - A month after he clinched a power-sharing deal between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his arch-rival Morgan Tsvangirai, former South African president Thabo Mbeki was back in Zimbabwe Tuesday to broker talks aimed at salvaging the accord.

Mbeki held talks at a city-centre hotel in the morning with Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Tsvangirai and MDC splinter faction leader Arthur Mutambara, who is the third party to the September 15 deal.

He was also due to meet with Mugabe about the deadlock between his Zanu-PF party and the MDC on the formation of a unity government.

Under the terms of the agreement, Mugabe remains president and Tsvangirai occupies a resurrected position of prime minister, with the two sharing executive powers. Mugabe's Zanu-PF is to get 15 ministries in a 31-member cabinet, Tsvangirai's MDC 13 and Mutambara's faction three.

Four weeks after the historic signing ceremony in Harare, the deadlock between Mugabe and Tsvangirai over the distribution of key ministries threatens to sink the accord.

Mugabe on Friday unilaterally awarded control of the defence and home affairs ministries, among others, to his Zanu-PF.

These portfolios give him control of the army and the police, both of which he has used against the MDC and its supporters for years.

As the fresh talks got underway, the lower house of parliament was due to sit for the first time since Mugabe opened the chamber in August to loud heckling from the MDC.

The MDC overturned Zanu-PF's 28-year majority in parliament in March elections, relegating the party to the opposition benches.

The new parliament had been expected, as one of its first acts, to pass a constitutional amendment allowing for Tsvangirai to be sworn in as prime minister.

European Union foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday threatened to tighten sanctions against Mugabe and his allies unless he abandoned his hardline position and the deal was quickly implemented.

Mbeki is mediating in Zimbabwe on behalf of the Southern African Development Community regional grouping.

Analysts have expressed concerns that he will not bring as much influence to bear on the talks as when he was president of Africa's largest economy and Zimbabwe's closest ally.

Mbeki was ousted as president by his African National Congress party in September.