Despite reports that the ruling and opposition parties inZimbabwe were expected to issue a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Wednesday,that is not likely to happen.
Theruling ZANU-PF party and the opposition MDC are trying to negotiate, followingthe recent disputed and controversial presidential run-off election. In the meantime, the United States and othercountries are considering further sanctions against the government of PresidentRobert Mugabe. The election has been widely criticized as being a sham.
VOAreporter Delia Robertson is following the story. From Johannesburg, she spokewith English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua about why a memorandum ofunderstanding would not be issued Wednesday.
"Ithink essentially because the MDC is still undecided about what it wants to beincluded in the MOU. I think it's also undecided about whether in fact itreally wants an MOU or not and how that will affect its status in terms oftalks," she says.
Currently,MDC members are discussing the issue. "The MDC has been meeting for a couple ofdays now and they continue in meetings today about the MOU and how to proceedfrom here. I think there's some disagreement within the MDC itself,particularly the Morgan Tsvangirai formation of the MDC, which is the largestformation of that party, about what the MOU should include; and also about whoshould be playing what role in negotiations. There may be some dissatisfactionwith how they've been handled up till now by the (party's) secretary-generalTendai Biti," she says.
SinceMr. Mugabe claimed victory in the disputed runoff and was sworn in to a sixthterm in office, what leverage does the MDC really have? Robertson says, "Ithink the leverage that they have is essentially that in order to be able togovern ? because the MDC won the most votes in parliament and almost a majorityin the senate ? that the ruling party would need the MDC in order to proceedfurther. And also because Mr. Mugabe is very anxious that sanctions are notincreased against him and senior people in his party. And so, in order toprevent that from happening he needs some sort of agreement."
Thelast time MDC and ZANU-PF officials met was last week in South Africa. "Theymet in preliminary talks to determine how the talks would proceed," she says.
SouthAfrican President Thabo Mbeki had been appointed by SADC, the Southern AfricanDevelopment Community, to mediate Zimbabwe's political crisis. Many havecriticized his quiet diplomacy for failing to bring political change.
"He(Mbeki) convened the talks last week. Those talks continue to be facilitated bysenior members of his government. And it is my understanding that be popped ina few times to meet with the delegates. So, yes, indeed he continues to play arole. And in fact some of the objections expressed by Mr. Tsvangirai and othersas a reason for delaying the signing of an MOU until a second mediator has beenappointed to work along side of him may in fact be somewhat of a cover by theMDC to disguise it's own uncertainties within its own ranks," she says.