VOA标准英语2009年-Zimbabwe Leaders Resume Power Sharing Talks

（单词翻译）

Leaders of Zimbabwe's three main political parties have begun negotiations¹ to implement² a stalled power-sharing agreement aimed at ending 10 months of political stalemate. The two major parties appeared to harden their positions on the eve of the talks.
　
Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, left, with Mozambique's Armanado Guebuza in Harare, 19 Jan 2009

The presidents of South Africa and Mozambique arrived in Zimbabwe and immediately began talks with President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai and the leader of a third party, Arthur Mutambara.

South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, his predecessor³ Thabo Mbeki and Mozambican President Armando Guebuza are leading a regional effort to resolve differences that have prevented the formation of a unity⁴ government mandated⁵ by a four-month-old power sharing agreement.

Mutambara told reporters it was time for flexibility⁶, compromise and pragmatism. But he underlined that his group, as an opposition⁷ party, supported the demands of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and he said he hoped Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party would respond positively⁸ to these demands.
　
Morgan Tsvangirai (r), leader of the main opposition party in Zimbabwe is flanked by bodyguards⁹ upon his arrival at Harare International Airport, 17 Jan 2009

Mr. Tsvangirai met Sunday with his party leadership, one day after returning home following a two-month absence. MDC Spokesman Nelson Chamisa told reporters the talks were critical, but the party would maintain its demands.

"It is a watershed¹⁰ in terms of bringing to finality and closure the chapter of negotiations," said Chamisa. "And in that regard the MDC is not going to be bulldozed into accepting piecemeal¹¹ the outcome of those negotiations. We are going to insist on our outstanding issues."

The MDC is demanding a more equitable¹² sharing of key cabinet ministries¹³, the redistribution of provincial¹⁴ governorships and senior government posts, and the release of about 30 activists¹⁵ who have been detained under what it says are trumped-up charges.

Mr. Mugabe also indicated that ZANU-PF would not make further concessions¹⁶. In an interview with the government-owned Sunday Mail newspaper, the Zimbabwean president said the other parties at the talks would either accept the agreement or break it. He has indicated he was prepared to form a new government on his own if the talks did fail.

Zimbabwe's parliament is due to reconvene Tuesday to debate a constitutional amendment¹⁷ that would legalize September's power sharing agreement.

Under the accord, Mr. Mugabe would remain president while Mr. Tsvangirai would take the newly created post of prime minister. Mutambara would be named one of two deputy prime ministers.

The power-sharing accord was reached after lengthy¹⁸ negotiations that began following disputed elections in which the MDC won a majority of the seats in parliament.

Mr. Tsvangirai received the most votes in the first round of the presidential vote, but Mr. Mugabe won the second round after Mr. Tsvangirai withdrew, citing a campaign of intimidation¹⁹ against his supporters.

The crisis aggravated²⁰ Zimbabwe's economic problems, characterized by hyper-inflation, high unemployment, a cholera²¹ epidemic²² that has killed more than 2,000 people and food shortages that have humanitarian²³ groups scrambling²⁴ to provide food aid to more than one half the population.