Zimbabwean opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said yesterday
it was committed to negotiations with the ruling Zanu PF party to find a lasting
solution to the challenges facing Zimbabwe.
Addressing a press conference in Harare on the just ended African Union
summit held in Egypt, the MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai told journalists that
talks were the only way forward to solve differences between the opposition and
the ruling Zanu PF.
"The MDC is committed to a negotiated solution to the crisis that we are
facing," he said, dismissing reports that there were talks currently taking
place between the two parties.
"There are no talks taking place as far as we know," he said.
The opposition leader said there was no substitute for sitting down to map
the way forward, taking examples from conflicts that had taken place on the
African continent.
"Lessons are that at the end of the day, conflicts are resolved through
negotiations. We are not dismissing the question of talks but we are saying it
cannot just be dialogue for the sake of dialogue; it has to be principled
dialogue to find a solution to the crisis," he said.
Tsvangirai lost to President Robert Mugabe in the presidential run-off
election concluded on Sunday.
President Mugabe said last week the ruling Zanu PF was ready to meet with the
opposition to chart the way forward to get Zimbabwe out of the challenges it was
facing.
Mugabe has, however, said, "it must be a meeting of our minds and not a
meeting of other people's minds through us."
Other players, including the Southern African Development Community and the
African Union have also backed the proposed inter-party talks.