Tsvangirai rejects Zimbabwe compromise offer

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- After weeks of deadlocked talks over a power-sharing agreement between Zimbabwe's president and the nation's opposition leader, a mediating group asked both sides to co-manage the ministry that oversees police.

But the ruling was immediately rejected Monday by Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition MDC party, leaving the Zimbabwe talks at another impasse.

The Southern African Development Community -- a group of nations charged with mediating the talks -- had proposed that two ministers would oversee the Ministry of Home Affairs, one from the MDC and the governing Zanu-PF party. Details of how the arrangement would be implemented were not immediately disclosed.

Tomaz Salomao, executive secretary of the SADC, told reporters Monday that the mediators were asked to make a ruling on the issue. He said the SADC asked the MDC and President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF to assess the arrangement within the next six months.

Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and Tsvangirai's MDC party have been negotiating over the distribution of cabinet posts in a unity government. A September 15 power-sharing agreement was to end months of turmoil and violence that followed the country's March presidential elections.

Under the September deal that Mugabe and Tsvangirai signed, Tsvangirai would become prime minister and Mugabe would remain president. Arthur Mutambara, who leads a splinter MDC faction, would become deputy prime minister.

Tsvangirai garnered the most votes then, but did not win enough to avoid a runoff with Mugabe, who has ruled the country since its independence from Britain in 1980.

The MDC leader withdrew days before the June 27 runoff, alleging that Mugabe's supporters had waged a campaign of violence and intimidation against opposition supporters.

He said he could not participate in the election, which he condemned as a "sham."

CNN's Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report.

All About Zimbabwe • Politics • Robert Mugabe • Morgan Tsvangirai