Zimbabwe pres., opposition leader sign deal
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - July 21, 2008 President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai
signed the breakthrough deal committing both sides to creating a
"genuine viable, permanent and sustainable solution" within two
weeks.
The talks will begin Thursday in Pretoria, the South African
capital, according to an opposition official who spoke on condition
of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The deal - which comes nearly three months after Zimbabwe's
disputed March presidential election - also calls for preventing
violence, a new constitution and restoring an economy shattered by
Mugabe's government policies. There was no mention in the framework
of sharing power.
The leaders called it an important first step toward resolving a
standoff that has plunged a country already suffering economically
into a deadly political crisis. More than 120 people have been
killed, thousands injured and tens of thousands forced from their
homes, rights groups say.
Mugabe said the framework will "chart a new way" for the
troubled country. But the longtime leader, who in the past has
accused Tsvangirai of being a puppet controlled by the West, urged
negotiators to resist influence from Europe and the United States.
He called on all involved to be "masters of our own destiny."
A jubilant Tsvangirai, beaming as he signed the deal, pledged
that he will be "putting the interests of Zimbabwe at the
forefront."
The deal brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki comes
amid mounting international pressure on Mugabe, who opposition
leaders and rights groups accuse of masterminding a campaign of
state-sponsored election violence.
Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change,
garnered the most votes in the March election - buoyed by
Zimbabweans frustrated by government policies that have left
shelves bare of basic goods - but not enough to win outright.
As elections officials stalled on setting a date for the runoff,
the opposition and rights activists say the ruling ZANU-PF party
embarked on a campaign of intimidation to ensure the increasingly
autocratic leader's victory.
Tsvangirai eventually pulled out of the runoff, citing the
deadly political violence against his supporters. Mugabe declared
victory following the one-man runoff June 27.
With tensions mounting, observers and analysts earlier said a
coalition government, perhaps with Mugabe as president and
Tsvangirai as prime minister or vice president, was the only way to
lead the nation out of the impasse.
Mugabe's party had said it is open to a power-sharing deal, but
only if Mugabe heads any unity government. The opposition earlier
said it is open to a "government of national healing" - but only
one with moderate ruling party members, not Mugabe.
The deal is a diplomatic coup for Mbeki, who has insisted that
dialogue - and not punitive sanctions - is the only way to deal
with Mugabe, the former independence hero revered in much of Africa
for leading the seven-year bush war to oust the white-minority
government ruling the former British colony.
Mugabe, 84, has been in power since his country won independence
in 1980. But in recent years, government policies have plunged the
one-time regional breadbasket into an economic free fall.
Zimbabwe's central bank on Monday issued a new 100
billion-dollar note in a vain attempt to keep up with shortages of
cash and the world's worst inflation running officially at 2.2
million percent but unofficially much higher.
Frustrated by the empty shelves, sky-high inflation and a lack
of work, Zimbabweans elected the most opposition members to
parliament in March since Mugabe took power 28 years ago.
The interational community sought to pressure Mugabe with
sanctions.
The U.S. pushed for a U.N. Security Council resolution to impose
sanctions on Mugabe and his top aides to punish them for allegedly
overseeing political violence and to force them to negotiate. But
Russia and China delivered a rare twin veto of the resolution.
The European Union was expected Tuesday to widen sanctions
targeted at Mugabe and his cronies, including tightening a travel
ban.
For Mugabe and Tsvangirai, it was a rare meeting between two
longtime foes. They crossed paths "for the first and last time"
at a 1998 Workers' Day rally when Tsvangirai was secretary-general
of Zimbabwe's trade union federation, said George Sibotshiwe, a
spokesman for Tsvangirai's party.
Tsvangirai, 56, became leader of the MDC in 1999.