(19 Oct 2008) SHOTLIST
++AUDIO AS INCOMING++
1. Wide of rally
2. Wide of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters in crowd
3. Mid of supporters with MDC flag
4. Various of MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, speaking at microphone
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Morgan Tsvangirai, MDC leader:
"The sooner we put a finality to this stupid and petty debate about allocation of power, the better."
6. Supporters
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Morgan Tsvangirai, MDC leader:
"Next week we are going to SADC (Southern African Development Community), we are going to the AU (African Union) to finalise this issue."
7. Man in crowd taking photograph
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Vox Pop,name not given, MDC Supporter:
"It's a very sad development in this country because the people are suffering, but we want a way forward."
9. Crowd raising their palms forward
STORYLINE
Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Sunday urged for an agreement for a power-sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe, saying the sooner a deal is reached the better.
Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was attending a rally at Masvingo in south-eastern Zimbabwe, to tell supporters about his plans for the coming week.
Members of the crowd displayed the MDC flag, featuring the symbol of an open hand, and made the same gesture en masse, to represent transparency in government.
Tsvangirai said he would be attending a meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Swaziland on Monday to try to "finalise" a power-sharing deal with Mugabe despite the breakdown of talks between the two leaders.
Four days of negotiations ended on Friday without producing an agreement on the allocation of Cabinet posts in a unity government.
Talks were mediated by former South African President Thabo Mbeki who brokered a deal one month earlier between Mugabe and Tsvangirai after the opposition narrowly won March parliamentary elections.
But the formation of the new government has been delayed over disagreements on the allocation of Cabinet posts.
The opposition has accused Mugabe of trying to hold on to too many key posts.
The leaders have called for intervention from regional and African leaders.
They will attend Monday's SADC meeting in Swaziland.
The collapse of the talks is a disappointing setback that is likely to worsen the country's economic and humanitarian woes.
Without a political agreement, the economic and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe has deepened.
Inflation is at 231 (m) million percent and the United Nations estimates that 45 percent of Zimbabwe's population, or 5.1 (m) million people, will need food help by early 2009.

Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ] ​​
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]


You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть