Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai Rules Out African Union Call for Power-sharing Deal With Mugabe

Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, yesterday ruled out joining the power-sharing government called for by the African Union, and said negotiations with President Robert Mugabe should instead lay the ground for a new constitution and fresh elections.

Tsvangirai also said there could be no talks while state-orchestrated violence continued against supporters of his Movement for Democratic Change. At least nine people have been murdered in political attacks since last Friday's presidential runoff, and hundreds more beaten or driven from their homes.

The MDC leader criticized the AU summit for failing to recognize the "illegitimacy" of the election, which was boycotted by Tsvangirai after a military-led campaign of violence against the opposition.

Mugabe officially won the presidential runoff with close to 90% of the valid votes - more than double the support he received when he lost the first round of the election to the MDC leader in March.

Tsvangirai said the AU should not have called for a national unity government without acknowledging that the MDC won the March vote and should therefore be recognized as the legitimate government of Zimbabwe. "A government of national unity does not address the problems facing Zimbabwe or acknowledge the will of the Zimbabwean people," said Tsvangirai.

"While the MDC remains committed to negotiations, these must be based on the March results and must move towards a transitional agreement. Our commitment to a negotiated settlement is not about power-sharing or power deals, but about democracy, freedom and justice. Our struggle is not about power, but about democracy."

He said a transitional administration should serve primarily to draw up a new constitution, which would be put to a referendum, and then to hold elections.

But Zimbabwe's information minister, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, welcomed the AU's position, saying it reflected Mugabe's call for dialog. "Government is ready for dialog with whoever, a dialog for national unity in Zimbabwe," he said.

Senegal's president, Abdoulaye Wade, said that at the summit Mugabe had dismissed a proposal for power-sharing with the MDC. "He told me this is not possible, that he has his supporters," said Wade. "I reminded him that the MDC is a real force and that if a prime minister had to be chosen by his level of representation, it could only be Tsvangirai."

Tsvangirai was backed in his call by the EU, which said he should head any transitional government because it is "essential that the will of the Zimbabwean people be reflected". Gordon Brown said the UN should send an envoy to Zimbabwe to discuss a transitional arrangement based on the March election results.

Tsvangirai also said that the MDC would reject any mediation conducted solely by South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, who the opposition has accused of hostility and of partisanship toward Mugabe.

"The MDC's reservations about the mediation process under Mbeki are well known," he said. "It is our position that unless the mediation team is expanded to include at least one permanent representative from the African Union, and the mediation mechanism is changed, no meaningful progress can be made towards resolving the Zimbabwean crisis. If this does not happen the MDC will not be part of such a mediation process."

The Bush administration has drafted a UN security council resolution for further sanctions against the Zimbabwean government and demanding immediate negotiations to end the political crisis in the country.