The talks between Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF and opposition MDC to end Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis are set to resume Sunday, South African President Thabo Mbeki said after meeting his Zimbabwean counterpart Robert Mugabe.

Mbeki flew to Harare for discussions with Mugabe after the talks adjourned on Tuesday amid suggestions by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) that they were deadlocked, the South African Press Association reported.

Mbeki said he had already met Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the bigger faction of the MDC, in Pretoria on Tuesday after the negotiations adjourned, and would meet the leader of another MDC faction later Wednesday.

The dialogue, which started July 24, is deadlocked over who will lead a possible unity government, according to agencies' reports, quoting anonymous sources close to the talks held in an undisclosed place in South Africa's administrative capital Pretoria.

The two chief negotiators for Mugabe, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Public Services Minister Nicholas Goche, reportedly flew home Monday night to consult Mugabe about their mandate.

MDC insists that Tsvangirai be the leader of any unity government because he won a leading number of votes in Zimbabwe's first round of presidential voting, though failing to obtain an absolute majority, according to reports.

However, the ZANU-PF is firm in rejecting any deal that fails to recognize Mugabe's victory in the run-off, which was boycotted by Tsvangirai, who cited various reasons, mainly political violence against his supporters.

South Africa's Business Day newspaper has reported that it is understood that Tsvangirai is being offered a position as third vice-president to Mugabe, whose existing vice-presidents are JoyceMujuru and Joseph Msika.

The MDC has rejected the offer and wanted the post of prime minister with "considerable" executive powers for Tsvangirai.

The two factions of the MDC won a majority of seats in parliament in the legislative elections held simultaneously with the presidential polls on March 29, the first time that the ZANU-PF lost its majority in the parliament since the country's independence in 1980.

Mugabe has not appointed a new cabinet or sworn in a new parliament.

The rival parties signed on July 21 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the framework for discussions.

The MoU envisaged that "the dialogue will be completed within a period of two weeks from the date of signing of this MoU."

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2008)