Johnannesburg
10 July 2008
Delegates from Zimbabwe's main political parties are meeting inPretoria, South Africa to discuss future negotiations toward ending thecrisis in Zimbabwe. VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our southernAfrica bureau in Johannesburg.
Talks between representativesfrom the two factions of the opposition Movement for Democratic ChangeParty, and President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF Party are under way inPretoria, an African diplomat close to the mediation process told VOA.
Thedelegates are talking about how to overcome stumbling blocks in the wayof full negotiations about Zimbabwe's political future, according to anAfrican diplomat close to situation.
The difficulties appearimmense and are mostly the result of the widely discredited runoffpresidential election last month that was marked by widespread violenceoverwhelmingly perpetrated against members of the opposition and civilsociety groups by supporters of Mr. Mugabe.
That violencecontinues and bringing it to an end is one of the fundamental demandsthe two MDC factions are presenting at these preliminary talks.
Independentpolitical analyst Chris Maroleng says other serious challenges centeraround how the various parties view each other's legitimacy.
"Unlessthe mediator is able to deal with the key sticking points in terms ofrecognition and credibility of the various parties to this negotiation,one would argue that the distance or asymmetry that exists betweenthese two main political parties, would act as a stumbling blocktowards really having a positive outcome emanating from this currentperiod," he said.
While all the parties seem to have agreed thatthe way forward may be a transitional government of national unity,Maroleng says achieving that is going to be extremely difficult.
"Onthe one hand President Robert Mugabe insists on being recognized by theMDC as being legitimately elected and therefore having the right toconvene such a government," he said. "While the MDC would argue thatsince they won the elections that were viewed to be largely free andfair on the the 29th of March, they should actually have the right toconvene and determine the composition of a government of nationalunity."
Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF has been anxious to getnegotiations under way, perhaps to prevent the adoption this week ofUnited Nations sanctions.
But Maroleng cautions that if Mr.Mugabe does not get his way at the preliminary talks in Pretoria, thefear of sanctions may be overcome by anger and lead to a totaldisengagement by his ZANU-PF party, followed by increased suppressionof the opposition and civil society.