HARARE: Deep mistrust between President Robert Mugabe and arch rival Morgan Tsvangirai will remain a major obstacle to rapid progress in ending Zimbabwe’s crisis, despite an agreement to sit down and talk.

While there is a common sense of urgency for the two sides to bury their differences as Zimbabwe’s economy lurches from bad to worse, observers say neither Mugabe nor opposition leader Tsvangirai is about to give up his claim to be the country’s rightful leader.

And while South African President Thabo Mbeki may have pulled off something of a coup on Monday by persuading the pair to sign a memorandum of understanding on full-scale talks, Tsvangirai’s pointed refusal to refer to Mugabe as president of anything more than his ZANU-PF party hardly boded well.

According to Joseph Kurebga, a political scientist at the University of Zimbabwe, the talks could proceed “very fast and to the satisfaction of all parties” — but only if and when the main sticking point is resolved.

“President Mugabe will want to be recognised legitimately, while Tsvangirai would also want to be recognised as the leader or winner of the elections.” Mugabe was predictably re-elected late last month in a one-man poll that was boycotted by Tsvangirai after a string of deadly attacks on supporters of his opposition Movement for Democratic Change party.

Tsvangirai, who pushed Mugabe into second place in the first round of voting on March 29, has refused to acknowledge Mugabe’s victory and insists he has the right to the biggest slice of cake in any power-sharing agreement.

In a speech a week after the June 27 second round vote, Mugabe warned that for any talks to even begin, all sides had to recognise him as head of state.

“Everybody has to accept that if they want dialogue,” he told supporters.

While Mugabe may have given some ground then in agreeing to at least speak to Tsvangirai, Lovemore Madhuku, a pro-opposition analyst, says that should not be interpreted as a sign of the 84-year-old’s weakening resolve.

“Mugabe still wants to be an executive leader of this country and he will remain the executive leader, there’s no illusion on that,” said Madhuku.

“The major issue is where to place Tsvangirai, and whether Tsvangirai will accept the position he will be offered or not.” If Mugabe has slightly softened his line, Tsvangirai has also had to temper some of his demands such as on the make-up of the mediation team.

He has previously called for Mbeki to be sacked from the position that was handed to him in March last year by leaders of the 14-nation southern African Development Community (SADC) and more recently called for African Union and United Nations envoys to be brought into the process.—AFP