MARONDERA, Zimbabwe (AFP) — Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai warned Saturday that he would not sign a deal with President Robert Mugabe at any price simply to please other African leaders.
"We have very high respect for SADC (Southern African Development Community), very high respect for every African institution," he said at a meeting at Marondera, 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of the capital Harare.
"We don't want our issues to go outside Africa," he added.
"When they (the regional leaders) come on Monday we shall respect them."
But, he said, if the diplomatic moves of the South African mediator Thabo Mbeki, were misdirected, there would be no deal.
He said his party had one message for Mbeki: "Quiet diplomacy has its limits, we give him all the respect (but) we may end up abandoning quiet diplomacy when we realise quiet diplomacy is being led for wrong approval."
Three SADC heads of state and a minister will back Mbeki Monday in his efforts to get Tsvangarai and Mugabe to reach a deal on the composition of a new unity government.
On September 15 the two men signed a power-sharing deal to resolve the crisis created by the defeat of the government in the general election in March.
"We are committing to a suitable power sharing-agreement... (but) no-one should ever take us for granted," he said.
"There is nothing wrong with the deal, the problem is now its implementation... the problem is that Mugabe wants all the key ministries... I will not enter into this government when I know there is no sincerity... How can I sign this deal when I am not given the tools to perform?".
Tsvangarai and Mugabe have held lengthy negotiations chaired by Mbeki but have failed to agree on the distribution of major ministries, in particular the interior and defence portfolios.
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