Facilitators working under South African President Jacob Zuma, mediator in Zimbabwe for the Southern African Development Community, have wrapped talks on the election road map with Zimbabwe negotiators and will now refer outstanding issues to their principals.
South African and Zimbabwean sources said Mr. Zuma is setting up a meeting with President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Industry Minister Welshman Ncube to resolve all issues and complete a road map to elections.
Outstanding issues related to the road map include reform of the media and the national electoral process, and depoliticization of the police, army and secret police.
Zuma international relations adviser Lindiwe Zulu told VOA reporter Blessing Zulu that the negotiators had deadlocked on the remaining outstanding issues.
Law lecturer Alex Magaisa of Kent University in Great Britain commented that the principals can break the impasse over the elections road map if they are committed.