Zimbabwe President Mugabe to Meet with Opposition One Final Time

The stakes are at an all time high as President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai prepare to meet Monday to discuss the future of a shared power agreement for the Zimbabwe government, according to the New York Times. In a general election last year, Tsvangirai had more votes than Mugabe, who has held power for the past twenty years. A run off was then called, and Tsvangirai pulled out in June due to state sponsored beatings and 180 murders of opposition party members. An agreement was signed by the two men in September without discussing the division of control of the government ministries. Since then, Mugabe has insisted on retaining control of the army, police, and intelligence agencies. The talks scheduled for Monday are the last that will be had on the issue. According to Mugabe, "This is the occasion when it’s either they accept or it’s a break". Tsvangirai's willingness to negotiate hinges on the immediate release of opposition party activists that were abducted by state security agents and the fair distribution of governmental power. The South African Development Community, a regional bloc of nations, has encouraged the opposition party to sign an agreement and address their issues as part of the government instead of an oppostion party. Should the opposition party decide not to come to an agreement with Mugabe, they would have to mobilized the public in questioning his legitimacy.
While the two parties have squabbled over power, the country has fallen into a state of despair due to an absence of a legitimate government. Over 2,000 people have died and 43,000 have been infected with cholera due to, "the collapse of water, sanitation, and health services". The article also points out that, "Over half the population is currently dependent on international food aid".