S. African Leader Pressing Zimbabwe's Factions to Reach Deal

JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 17 -- South African President Thabo Mbeki traveled to neighboring Zimbabwe on Thursday to pressure leaders to complete negotiations that have brought the government and the opposition to the brink of a deal after years of political stalemate, officials from both countries said.

The two sides have deadlocked in recent days over the timing of upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections and when to implement a new constitution, sources familiar with the negotiations said. Mbeki flew to Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, with a compromise plan, raising hopes that a deal might be imminent.

Negotiators representing Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and the two wings of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change have made substantial progress in recent months, including a deal for a new constitution with a bill of rights guaranteeing expanded political freedoms.

"What I saw of an earlier draft constitutes a substantial improvement over what we've got," said David Coltart, an opposition member of parliament.

Agreements between Mugabe and opposition leaders also have led to the easing of restrictions on journalists and political gatherings, and steps have been taken to make the electoral commission more independent.

But the timing of the elections, tentatively scheduled for March, has emerged as a divisive issue. Mugabe favors keeping the vote on schedule, with a promise to implement the new constitution soon afterward. The opposition is demanding that the constitution, with its new freedoms, be implemented before any national vote.

"Having an election would just be a farce if they happen in March," said Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the wing of the opposition party led by Morgan Tsvangirai.

The picture is complicated by news that Simba Makoni, a popular former finance minister, may soon launch a third major party in Zimbabwe, splitting Mugabe's ruling party after 27 years of unbroken power.

The brutal beating by authorities of Tsvangirai and about 50 other opposition activists in March caused an international uproar and brought new pressure on Mugabe from southern African leaders, who appointed Mbeki to oversee negotiations to end eight years of political stalemate.

That process has brought the country closer to a deal than at any time since the Movement for Democrat Change formed in 1999.

"All that runs the risk of being torpedoed," said Trevor Ncube, publisher of two of Zimbabwe's few independent newspapers. "That's why Mbeki has gone there, and there's a real possibility he's going to come back empty-handed."