The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Harare

Zimbabwe's political rivals have agreed on a draft constitutional amendment to allow them to form a power-sharing government, but obstacles still remain to setting it up, the opposition said on Friday. On-off talks between President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC have made little progress since they reached a deal in September seen as the best hope of pulling Zimbabwe back from economic collapse. "We have reached an understanding, an agreement on the draft constitutional bill, pending consultations and endorsement by our different leadership organs," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told Reuters.

Negotiators from ZANU-PF, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and a breakaway MDC faction have been meeting with mediator Thabo Mbeki in South Africa to discuss the amendment, under growing regional pressure to finalize their deal.

Chamisa said the talks had ended.

"The draft constitutional amendment bill is just one of a number of issues that have been on the table. These issues, including the sharing of some cabinet posts, the appointment of provincial governors and other senior government positions, have not been resolved," he said.

"On our part, the MDC leadership will meet next week to discuss this, and give a direction as to how we are going to proceed."

ZANU-PF officials were not immediately available for comment.

Many in the southern African country hope a deal will bring in a new government to end a economic crisis where unemployment stands at 90 percent and official inflation is 231 million percent.