afrol News, 5 November - Zimbabwe's main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai has left the country for extra ordinary Southern African Development Community regional summit aimed at resolving Zimbabwe's political crisis to be held in South Africa on Sunday.

Ruling Zanu-PF and main opposition Movement for Democratic Change are deadlocked over cabinet key positions in a power-sharing government deal signed on 15 September.

MDC has reported Mr Tsvangirai was forced to travel on a temporary, Emergency Travel Document, due to Zanu PF's continued failure or refusal to issue him with a valid passport.

"MDC condemns lack of sincerity and good faith exhibited by Zanu-PF following signing of the Global Political Agreement and calls upon former ruling party to engage with the MDC in an open and transparent manner in order that political leadership can begin to address the suffering of Zimbabwean people," said MDC statement.

Rebound summit on Sunday aims to bring together all leaders of Southern Africa to save power-sharing deal, seen as the best hope for ending months of political turmoil and halting Zimbabwe's stunning economic collapse.

The heads of state of Mozambique, Swaziland and Angola, who form SADC's security council and Zimbabwean political parties, failed last month to secure a breakthrough in talks on the formation of Zimbabwe's cabinet.

Mr Tsvangirai won the first-round presidential vote in March, when his MDC gained a majority in Parliament, forcing Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF into the minority for the first time since independence in 1980.

But Tsvangirai pulled out of a June run-off, accusing Mugabe's regime of orchestrating attacks that left more than 100 of his supporters dead.

Meanwhile, president of SA's African National Congress Jacob Zuma has appealed to SADC leaders to pressure Zimbabwe's rival leaders to settle a deal on a unity government.

"I think SADC must put its pressure more strongly to these colleagues because what happens in Zimbabwe has effect on the region," president Zuma said.

South Africa is to host an extraordinary summit of SADC on Sunday in an effort to break the deadlock over the formation of a government of national unity.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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