Mugabe Said to Be Negotiating Possible Exit

By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Published: April 2, 2008

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Advisers to President Robert G. Mugabe of Zimbabwe are in talks with the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, amid signs that Mr. Mugabe may be preparing to resign, a Western diplomatic source and a prominent Zimbabwe political analyst said Tuesday. The negotiations about a possible transfer of power away from Mr. Mugabe come after he apparently concluded that a runoff election would be demeaning, a diplomat said.

A resignation by Mr. Mugabe, one of Africa’s longest serving leaders, would be a stunning turnabout in a country where Mr. Mugabe has been accused of consistently manipulating election results to maintain his lock on power.

There is no guarantee the negotiations will succeed and the situation could still unravel. But a Western diplomat and a political analyst said the opposition was negotiating with Zimbabwe’s military, central intelligence organization and the country’s prisons chief.

“The chiefs of staff are talking to Morgan and are trying to put into place transitional structures,†said John Makumbe, a political analyst and insider in local politics who has spoken in the past in favor of the opposition.

A spokesman for Mr. Tsvangirai, George Sibotshiwe, said: “I don’t know anything about such meetings.â€

Mr. Tsvangirai scheduled a news conference for 5 p.m. local time (10 a.m. Eastern time).

The diplomats said the joint chiefs had urged the negotiations after becoming convinced that there was no palatable alternative to a transfer of power and that a run-off following Saturday’s presidential election would lead to defeat for Mr. Mugabe. One Western diplomat said the heads of the armed forces advised Mr. Mugabe on Monday to engineer a second round run-off in the presidential race but Mr. Mugabe responded that a run-off would be a humiliation to him.

More than three days after the vote, the government had still not released any results of the presidential balloting. Under Zimbabwe’s election rules, a runoff would be required if no candidate got more than 50 percent. However, Reuters quoted unidentified sources in Mugabe’s party as saying it had projected Mr. Tsvangirai got 48 percent of the vote, versus 43 percent for Mr. Mugabe.

The nation has lingered in political limbo since Saturday, because of the election commission’s silence on the results of the presidential race, raising concerns that Mr. Mugabe was intent on rigging the outcome.

But with the talks now underway, the political ground seemed to be shifting rapidly, away from Mr. Mugabe.

Mr. Mugabe, 84, has led Zimbabwe since 1980. Crafty and ruthless, he is not a man likely to easily give up his hold on power, analysts, diplomats and Zimbabweans have long contended.

That has left this nation, and a good bit of the world, wondering how he will survive what seems a repudiation by his countrymen, most of whom have become unemployed under his rule. The nation now suffers from an inflation rate of 100,000 percent.

Mr. Tsvangirai’s party, the Movement for Democratic Change, had already used the few parliamentary results posted so far to declare victory.

Tendai Biti, the party’s secretary general, said Monday that unofficial tallies of more than half the votes showed Mr. Tsvangirai with 60 percent and Mr. Mugabe with 30 percent.

“We are at the moment of liberation from a dictator,†Mr. Biti said. However, the government had warned the opposition about declaring victory prematurely.

Graham Bowley contributed reporting from New York.

It's certainly possible but doesn't really fit Bob's profile and history. It would make a lot more sense for him to work out an amnesty agreement and leave with the money.

This would be a remarkably positive development if true. Anything that would facilitate a more orderly transfer of power would be best for all concerned.

More from AP



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080401/ap_on_re_af/zimbabwe_elections_47

Mugabe aides discuss ceding power

By ANGUS SHAW, Associated Press Writer 15 minutes ago


HARARE, Zimbabwe - Advisers of President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai are discussing the possibility of Zimbabwe's longtime leader relinquishing power, The Associated Press learned Tuesday.

Independent observers say trends indicate Tsvangirai won the most votes in the presidential race, but not enough to avoid a runoff — a prospect that could be humiliating to the 84-year-old president.

No returns from Saturday's presidential vote have been made public, fueling fears of rigging. Mugabe has been accused of stealing past elections, though that was before Zimbabwe's economy collapsed and leading members of his own party openly defied him.

A person close to the Electoral Commission told the AP that Mugabe has been informed he is far behind Tsvangirai in preliminary election results, and that there could be an uprising if Mugabe were declared the winner. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said aides to both men were discussing Mugabe's ceding power.

There has been no official confirmation from either side.

quote:

Mugabe has been accused of stealing past elections, though that was before Zimbabwe's economy collapsed and leading members of his own party openly defied him.

Most of this is business as usual but as quoted above, there is a new wrinkle to consider. We'll see how Mugabe handles it. He increased pay to the military but that will be reduced to nothing with the current inflation. If he can't control them he will have to make a change.

Pay no mind to that man behind the curtain.

That story is now being repeated on FOX News as well.

I just wish Ian Smith had lived long enough to see the defeat (if it does indeed happen) of Mugabe. Ian Smith passed away in November 2007.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Smith



-Bob F.

MDC is denying that they are negotiating with Mugabe. Who knows.

...yeah, but Maggie Thacher, and Jimmy Carter are still around to witness the destruction wrought by Mugabe.

quote:

Originally posted by tsibindi:
...yeah, but Maggie Thacher, and Jimmy Carter are still around to witness the destruction wrought by Mugabe.

This entire mess can be laid at their sniveling feet.