Mangoma said agreement was inevitable but…..

Movement for Democratic Change negotiator Elton Mangoma told United States embassy officials that agreement between the MDC and the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front was inevitable but one of the sticking points was the duration of the transitional government.

ZANU-PF wanted a five-year transitional government while the MDC insisted on two years.

The embassy said the two sides were anxious for an agreement that would involve some power-sharing but if the security forces were left in place, then effective control would remain with ZANU-PF.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 08HARARE651, NEGOTIATIONS STILL ON TRACK

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O 011117Z AUG 08

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3241

INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE

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C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 000651

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STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS

STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2018

TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC ZI

SUBJECT: NEGOTIATIONS STILL ON TRACK

Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d)

¶1. (C) MDC negotiator Elton Mangoma told us August 1 that

negotiations will resume in Pretoria on August 3. Mangoma

was optimistic that sticking points–balance of power between

Mugabe and Tsvangirai, and duration of the new

government–would be worked out and that a signing ceremony

would take place as early as next week. According to

Mangoma, ZANU-PF wants a five-year transitional government

while the MDC is insisting on two years. We understand from

several sources, including Mangoma, that the most likely

outcome is a power-sharing arrangement with Mugabe retaining

some executive powers as president and Tsvangirai becoming an

executive prime minister.

¶2. (C) COMMENT: Both sides are anxious for an agreement and

we expect, as indicated by Mangoma, a compromise resulting in

both Mugabe and Tsvangirai having executive power in a

transitional government with a division of ministries between

the two parties. Regardless of the precise allocation of

power between the two, if the security chiefs are left in

place, effective control of government will remain with

ZANU-PF.

¶3. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: If an agreement is reached, we

expect Tsvangirai to state that compromises were made to

achieve the best agreement possible under the circumstances,

and that democratic reforms will be undertaken leading to

elections after the transition period. Under this scenario,

he will probably ask that sanctions be lifted and that

international developmental assistance resume. END COMMENT.

MCGEE

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