South African President Thabo Mbeki is to chart the way forward in stalled talks for a power-sharing government in Zimbabwe after meeting representatives from the main political parties, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamisa said in a state newspaper article published Sunday. “I can confirm that we went to South Africa for separate bilateral discussions with the facilitator,” Chinamasa, who is one of the chief negotiators for President Robert Mugabe, was quoted as saying by The Sunday Mail. “The meeting was convened because the facilitator wanted to search for a way forward,” he added. It was still unclear when Mbeki would make a pronouncement on what will happen next, after meeting negotiators from the Zimbabwe parties in South Africa on Friday. MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa confirmed that their negotiators had met with Mbeki Friday and returned to Zimbabwe Sunday. “We remain cautiously optimistic that the dialogue is going to be successfully concluded,” he told AFP Sunday.

He added that a collapse of the dialogue would be “catastrophic” for Zimbabwe and would “catalyse suffering”. “This is why we feel as MDC we have to be committed to the success of the dialogue,” Chamisa said. The negotiations reached a deadlock two weeks ago after Mugabe and opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai failed to strike a compromise over the sharing of executive powers. Zimbabwe‘s state media on Saturday reported that Mugabe’s ZANU PF had rejected a “new but absurd suggestion” from the MDC that the country’s cabinet be co-chaired by Mugabe and Tsvangirai. “ZANU PF dismissed the suggestion, not just as insolent, but also stunning ignorance on how government works,” state daily The Herald quoted a source by Mugabe’s ZANU PF as saying. The power sharing talks followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Mugabe’s ZANU PF and the two factions of the MDC on July 21. In power since 1980, Mugabe retained office in June after a one-candidate, presidential run-off after the withdrawal of Tsvangirai who cited violence and intimidation against his supporters in the lead-up to vote.

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