ZIMBABWE’S opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says convening the country’s parliament before a political compromise is reached would be contrary to the spirit of the ongoing dialogue.

This follows President Thabo Mbeki’s remarks that it may be necessary to convene parliament, even before the talks had been concluded.

The comments came as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit ended in Johannesburg at the weekend without clinching a power-sharing deal between Zimbabwe’s rival parties.

The leader of the smaller MDC faction, Arthur Mutambara, is under the spotlight as speculation grows that parliamentarians may be sworn in soon.

With 10 seats, Mutambara’s MDC faction holds the swing in the lower house, where Tsvangirai’s MDC faction and President Mugabe’s Zanu-PF are separated by just one seat.

As a power-sharing deal continues to elude negotiators, Mutambara may soon be called upon to decide whether to take part in parliament without Tsvangirai on board. — DDC