South African President Kgalema Motlanthe said Monday that Zimbabwe's rival political leaders will meet Tuesday in South Africa in the latest bid to implement the stalled power-sharing deal.
Motlanthe said President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and a breakaway MDC faction will meet with former South African president Thabo Mbeki, who has mediated a power-sharing deal between the rival parties.
However, the deal, which requires the establishment of an all inclusive government, has stalled since it was signed on Sept. 15 as the parties have been fighting over control of key ministries, particularly the ministry of home affairs.
Tsvangirai won the most votes in March's presidential election but fell short of an outright majority to be elected president. However, his Movement for Democratic Change became the largest party in parliament for the first time.
He pulled out of a run-off against Mugabe, who has been Zimbabwe's top leader since independence from Britain in 1980, accusing the 84-year-old of orchestrating attacks against his opposition supporters.
(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2008)
