Talks to resolve Zimbabwe's deep crisis have stalled after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai refused to sign a framework for negotiations, his party said today.
Both Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change and the ruling Zanu-PF party of president Robert Mugabe are under strong African and world pressure to negotiate after the veteran leader's widely condemned re-election last month.
While the talks foundered, diplomats in Brussels said European Union members would agree on Tuesday to widen sanctions on Zimbabwe, including more travel bans and asset freezes on Mr Mugabe's inner circle and measures against companies with links to him.
The MDC and Zanu-PF began preliminary talks under South African mediation last week.
An MDC spokesman said Mr Tsvangirai had refused to sign an initial memorandum of understanding. "We won't have people putting it on our heads that we have to sign an agreement when our demands have not been met," he said.
The MDC has set several conditions for talks, including the end of government-backed violence it says has killed 113 of its supporters and the acceptance of Mr Tsvangirai's victory in the first round of the presidential vote on March 29th.
Mr Tsvangirai, who fell short of an absolute majority, pulled out of the run-off citing violence against his party.
The spokesman said the MDC now awaited the result of a meeting between South African president Thabo Mbeki and the African Union's top permanent official, Jean Ping, tomorrow.
"We want to see the outcome of the meeting between Mr Ping and President Mbeki tomorrow and then we will take it from there," he said.
Mr Mbeki was appointed by regional grouping SADC last year to mediate in the Zimbabwe crisis, which has ruined a once prosperous economy and flooded neighbouring nations with millions of refugees.
Critics say Mr Mbeki's discreet diplomatic approach favours Mr Mugabe and has been ineffective. The MDC wants an AU envoy appointed.
The tougher EU sanctions will for the first time include freezing the assets and banning the activities of companies with links to Mr Mugabe's leadership, an EU diplomat said. The EU has refused to recognise Mr Mugabe's re-election and has called for a new vote as soon as possible after a short transition from his rule.
Existing EU sanctions include an arms embargo, visa bans and the freezing of the assets of more than 100 officials, including Mr Mugabe.
Mr Mugabe (84) and in power since independence from Britain in 1980, has blamed the opposition for the bloodshed.
The AU has urged both sides to negotiate a power-sharing deal that would pave the way for a unity government, seen by many African leaders as the only way to avert further violence and total economic collapse.
Zimbabwe has the world's highest inflation rate, officially 2.2 million per cent but said by analysts to be much higher. Unemployment is around 80 per cent.
Mr Tsvangirai has come under African pressure to enter full negotiations with Mr Mugabe, who has branded the MDC puppets of the West and vowed never to let them take power.
The talks face a huge obstacle in the insistence of both sides that they should lead a unity government.
US President George W. Bush said yesterday he wanted a peaceful end to political turmoil in Zimbabwe and was examining more American sanctions after Russia and China blocked a United Nations sanctions resolution.
Reuters