Zimbabwe deal without Tsvangirai 'a farce'

Any deal on a new government in Zimbabwe that excluded main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai would be a farce, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Wednesday.

He was commenting on reports that President Robert Mugabe had reached an agreement with a small opposition faction which did not include Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change.

"Any so-called government of national unity which did not involve Mr Tsvangirai would effectively be a farce," Smith told Sky News.

"Mr Tsvangirai won the first round of the presidential election. His party, the MDC, won a parliamentary majority."

An official of Mugabe's ruling party had earlier said that a deal had been reached with Arthur Mutambara, leader of a breakaway faction of the MDC, which excluded Tsvangirai.

Such an arrangement "would fly in the face of any semblance of respecting the will of the Zimbabwe people," Smith said.

South African President Thabo Mbeki said Wednesday talks over Zimbabwe's future had paused to allow Tsvangirai "time to consider", while denying claims of a deal that excludes him.

After three days spent mediating power-sharing negotiations, Mbeki said he remained "confident" that all three parties in the talks would find a resolution.

Zimbabwe's political crisis intensified after Mugabe's re-election in a June 27 presidential run-off vote which Tsvangirai boycotted, saying dozens of his supporters had been killed and thousands injured.

Power-sharing talks began after the rivals signed a deal laying a framework for negotiations, which have reportedly included proposals for Mugabe to take on a ceremonial role and Tsvangirai being made executive prime minister.