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Southern African leaders opened a regional summit on Zimbabwe Sunday, hoping to break a deadlock over the allocation of cabinet posts which has prevented formation of a power-sharing government.
The 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), meeting in Johannesburg, is trying to end the impasse between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and put into effect a power-sharing deal reached in September.
Zimbabwean state media reported earlier that Mugabe's government would not change its stance on key positions in a power-sharing cabinet and the opposition should accept joint control of the interior ministry.
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa told the state-run Sunday Mail the deadlock would end only if Tsvangirai agreed to joint control of the ministry, which oversees the police.
"The proposals are on the table and the ball is in Tsvangirai's court," Chinamasa said.
"We want to make it clear that this proposal, which ZANU-PF accepted as a compromise, was originated by Tsvangirai himself."
Zimbabwe's only hope
South African President Kgalema Motlanthe said in opening remarks that the agreement signed by Zimbabwe's political rivals was the only hope for the country to revive its collapsed economy.
"The historical agreement signed on the 15th of September is the only vehicle to help Zimbabweans (with) their economic challenges," Motlanthe told the summit.
Mugabe and Tsvangirai were both attending the summit.
Motlanthe said there was some disappointment that the Zimbabwean parties had not agreed how to allocate cabinet posts.
"We hope the parties will show political maturity by putting the interest of the people of Zimbabwe first," he said.
Past meetings of regional heads of state have failed to produce a breakthrough and there were new signs that the parties may face another round of difficult negotiations.
Tsvangirai's MDC said last week that Mugabe's ZANU-PF party had put a "full stop" to negotiations on forming a government by carrying out what it said was widespread violence.
Tsvangirai, who would become prime minister under the power-sharing deal, has accused ZANU-PF of trying to seize the lion's share of important ministries and relegating the MDC to the role of junior partner.
Tough stand
About 350 MDC supporters protested outside the summit venue. Some wore shirts which said "Mugabe must go." Others held a mock funeral with three small coffins, including one for Mugabe.
"It's to show we don't want him. Why won't he share power?" said Mzingaye Ncube, 26, a student
Earlier about 50 ZANU-PF supporters gathered. The two sides briefly threw stones at each other.
South Africa's government has said it will take a tough stand at the summit -- a sharp change from the style of former President Thabo Mbeki, the official mediator whose policy of quiet diplomacy was criticized as ineffective.
It is not clear what practical steps the SADC could take to force an agreement on the two rivals.
Zimbabwe's economic crisis has forced millions of its citizens to flee the country, an estimated three million of them moving to neighboring South Africa alone.
Ties between Zimbabwe and neighboring Botswana have also become strained after Botswanan President Seretse Khama Ian Khama said a new election was the only solution to the crisis.
Establishing a unity government is seen as critical to reversing economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, where inflation is officially 231 million percent. Even under government price controls, the cost of bread is doubling every week.
Zimbabweans are struggling to survive amid widespread shortages of meat, milk and other basic commodities as a result of the collapse of the agricultural sector. The country is dependent on food handouts and malnutrition is rising.
PHOTO CAPTION
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe (C) arrives for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting in Sandton, South Africa, November 9, 2008.
Reuters
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