Zimbabwe rivals under fresh pressure in Zuma talks

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Recently Combank Sports and Recreation Club of Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC, Bangladesh organised a blankets distribution programme for the cold-affected people under Shahjadpur thana in Sirajganj district. Senior executives of the Combank Sports and Rec

HARARE, Mar 18 (AFP): Zimbabwe's rival leaders faced fresh pressure Thursday to mend their differences and push toward new elections, as South African President Jacob Zuma led talks on the fragile unity government.
Zimbabwe's ageing President Robert Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, reluctantly formed a unity government one year ago with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the former opposition leader.
The power-sharing pact has curbed deadly political violence that erupted around disputed 2008 presidential elections, while halting Zimbabwe's decade-long economic collapse.
But they remain sharply divided on a slate of key appointments, western sanctions on Mugabe's inner circle, and the treason trial of a top Tsvangirai ally.
Amid the feuding, work has stalled on drafting a new constitution, which is required under the power-sharing pact to pave the way to fresh elections envisioned by February 2011.
Zuma's spokesman Vincent Magwenya told newsmen that one-on-one talks with Mugabe and Tsvangirai Wednesday were "quite encouraging, in the sense that President Zuma got an impression that parties were as keen as we are to move things forward."
Zuma, the regional mediator on Zimbabwe, is now set to hold round table talks with the rival leaders Thursday in a bid to pressure them to resolve their differences.
The South African leader Wednesday also met with attorney general Johannes Tomana and central bank governor Gideon Gono, whose appointments are contested by Tsvangirai.