Mugabe Set to Keep Power Amid Rumours of Breakaway Deal

Zimbabwe's state-run press said Robert Mugabe will shortly install a new government following the collapse of political negotiations with his principal rival, Morgan Tsvangirai.

But the leader of a breakaway opposition faction, Arthur Mutambara, denied claims by Mugabe's officials that he will join the administration - which Zimbabwe's president is portraying as a government of national unity in an attempt to win international backing.

Senior ruling Zanu-PF party officials said yesterday that Mutambara had reached agreement with Mugabe on the shape of a new administration and that he would join it.

South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, who was mediating the negotiations, confirmed the two men did agree on the shape and division of powers in the next government, to be led by Mugabe.

But Mutambara, who heads a splinter group from Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change, said that did not mean he is prepared to serve in a new administration while there is still no deal between the two principal players. The talks broke up after Tsvangirai refused to drop his demand for Mugabe relinquish power and accept a role as a ceremonial president.

"This is a tripartite negotiating framework. You cannot get an agreement where only two parties agree," said Mutambara.

But he made clear his antipathy to Tsvangirai's insistence that Mugabe surrender power by calling on his MDC rival to "put national interest before self-interest".

Tsvangirai's aides treated with suspicion Mutambara's claim not to have done a deal with Mugabe, noting the opposition faction leader had shifted his position considerably in recent days and was praised by Zimbabwe's president in a speech earlier this week.

But Mutambara was also under pressure from his own members of parliament today, some of whom threatened to desert him if he did a unilateral deal with Mugabe. The Mutambara faction holds 10 seats in parliament that represent the balance of power.

One Mutambara faction MP, David Coltart, said that he would not back a unilateral deal with Mugabe.

"The political impasse will only be broken when we have an agreement that reflects the will of the people as expressed in the March election. I wouldn't agree to any side deal," he said.

Despite the lack of progress during three days of talks on the central issue of who wields power in Zimbabwe, Mbeki continues to say that a deal is possible soon.

"We are indeed convinced that it is possible to conclude these negotiations quite quickly," said Mbeki today. "They are working on a truly inclusive government."

But Tsvangirai's aides doubted there will be any agreement in the short term.Publicly, the MDC leader said his party remains committed to dialogue but the outcome must reflect the democratic will of the people established in the last generally accepted election result - the first round of presidential elections in March won by Tsvangirai.

"We will not betray you. In this respect, the MDC entered these negotiations full of hope. We put aside our grievances and reached out to Zanu-PF for the good of the people," he said in a statement.

"We knew negotiations would be difficult, but a resolution that represents anything other than the will of the Zimbabwean people would be a disaster for our country."