refused to accept the position of ThirdVice-President to Robert Mugabe.

On July 28th, Mugabe’s chief negotia-tor, Patrick Chinamasa, returned toHarare from South Africa to consultwith his leader only hours after Tsvan-girai touched down in Johannesburg toconsult with his seven-man negotiatingteam.

The deadlock came when Tsvangirai’steam refused to endorse Mugabe’s dis-puted presidential victory of June 27th.They also rejected the Zimbabweanpresident’s offer for the MDC leader totake on the role of a third vice-presi-dent in his government. MDC sourcessaid it was ‘‘insulting’’.

Tsvangirai has said he would acceptnothing short of the role of executiveprime minister, with full executive pow-ers, in a two-year transitional authoritythat would pave the way towards con-stitutional reform and a fresh round ofgeneral elections.

Chinamasa agreed to relay this to Muga-be in Harare, and would report back tothe facilitation team. Tsvangirai’sspokesperson, George Sibosithwe, con-firmed that the talks had reached animpasse and that they would resume inearly August. (The Star, Johannesburg 29 ⁄ 7)

The MDC had expected the talks tobreak down quickly, but there is furyin some opposition circles about MrMbeki’s role, as they believe he musthave known all along that Mr Mugabehad no intention of negotiating his wayout of power. ‘‘Why did some of usbelieve Mbeki? He will protect Mugabeto the end’’, said another MDC source.

Zimbabwe already has two vice-presi-dents, both appointed by Mr Mugabe,one reserved for a senior ZANU-PFfigure and the second for a member ofthe former ZAPU. (The Daily Telegraph,London 29 ⁄ 7)

EU Extends Sanctions

No sooner had the talks betweenZANU-PF and the MDC begun, thanthe EU announced it was extending itssanctions, showing what some analystsdeemed an exquisite sense of bad tim-ing. Sanctions are already a divisiveissue between the two sides.

Mugabe accuses Tsvangirai, who helabels a puppet of the West, of callingon the United States and the EuropeanUnion (EU) to impose sanctions on hisgovernment and has in the past repeat-edly urged the MDC leader to tellWashington and Brussels to lift thesanctions.

The MDC denies campaigning forsanctions and says only the Westerngovernments have the power to scrap

the visa and financial bans imposed onMugabe and his top officials.

In a hint of how critical the issue ofsanctions was to the success or failureof dialogue, Agriculture Minister Rug-are Gumbo accused the EU of seekingto foil talks. (Zim Online 25 ⁄ 7)

EU foreign ministers said they wereadding the names of 37 individuals andfour companies to a list of more than130 of Mr Mugabe’s relatives and offi-cials who are already subjected by the27-nation bloc to travel and businessrestrictions.

By giving their approval to the newsanctions, the ministers made clear thatEU governments remained to be con-vinced that the new talks on power-sharing in Zimbabwe would bringmeaningful political change. (FinancialTimes, London 23 ⁄ 7)

US President George W Bush signedan executive order expanding restric-tions against individuals and organisa-tions linked to Mr Mugabe’sgovernment.

Mr Bush said the sanctions were a‘‘direct result’’ of government actions.

The move expands the list of Zimbab-wean companies and individuals bannedfrom dealing with the US to more than250, after sanctions were first imposedin 2003. (BBC News Online 25 ⁄ 7)

IN BRIEFUganda: President Yoweri Museveni has con-firmed he will stand in the 2011 presidentialrace, as the candidate for the NationalResistance Movement (NRM), for a fourthconsecutive term as elected president. (DailyMonitor, Kampala 7 ⁄ 7)Zambia: The ruling Movement for Multipar-ty Democracy (MMD) has won the Milanziparliamentary election in a by-election heldon July 24th.

According to official results MMD’s ReubenBanda beat five other contestants.

The Milanzi parliamentary seat fell vacantafter the death of Chosani Njovu of theopposition United Nation IndependenceParty (UNIP). (PANA 27 ⁄ 6)

PARTIES ANDPOLICIES

ETHIOPIACUD Changes Hands

The main opposition leader loseshis party name and symbol whileimprisoned.

Former chairman of the oppositionCoalition for Unity and Democracy(CUD), Hailu Shawl, will be forced to

adopt a new name and symbol for theparty he leads as the Federal HighCourt has rejected his plea to retain theparty name and its victory symbol.

Hailu Shawl, along with other partyleaders, spent nearly two years inprison after riots which gripped AddisAbaba in 2005 following the disputedelection result.

After release from prison, the CUDleadership split and the faction led bythe then vice-chairperson, BirtukanMideksa, have formed a new partycalled Unity for Democracy and Justice(UDJ) while Hailu Shawl and his sup-porters tried to retain the party’s origi-nal name.

While Hailu Shawl and others were inprison, the National Electoral Board ofEthiopia (NEBE) awarded the nameCUD to the faction led by the previ-ously little-known Ayele Chamiso.

Hailu took the electoral board to courton April 16th for ‘‘unjustly’’ awardingthe party name to Chamiso, and hasbeen engaged in a court battle sincethen. On July 23rd the Federal HighCourt decided against him.

Following the court’s decision, Hailuwas left with no choice but to adopt anew name and party symbol.

The group he leads said in a pressstatement that even though the party’sname was taken away from them, itdoes not mean that their struggle willcome to a halt. The statement addedthat the party’s executive committeewill submit a new name and symbol tothe electoral board. (The Reporter, AddisAbaba 26 ⁄ 7)

Morocco

New Party

The birth of a new political party calledThe Green Left (La Gauche Verte) wasannounced at a news conference on July10th in Rabat.

Omar Zaidi, coordinator of the nationalcommission in charge of preparing theparty’s constituent congress, expected totake place in December 2008, said TheGreen Left’s programme was based onimproving the environment, particularlythrough a rationalisation of water usage,investment in renewable energies, protec-tion of sea resources and the fight againstpollution.

The programme also includes the promo-tion of economic and social development,education, culture and the media.

A document distributed to the mediasaid The Green Left’s aim was to ‘‘con-tribute to living up to the challenges ofdevelopment, security, solidarity, toler-ance and co-habitation, as well sex equal-ity’’. (MAP News Agency, Rabat 12 ⁄ 7)

Internal Developments17602 – Africa Research Bulletin

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� Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2008.