Zimbabwe talks to resume soon - ZANU-PF

By Cris Chinaka

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is expected to meet opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the next two days in another attempt to break a deadlock over cabinet posts, a senior ruling party official said on Monday.

The ZANU-PF official suggested Mugabe's patience was running out and a prolonged deadlock could endanger the negotiations. The two sides have been unable to agree on sharing out cabinet posts since an outline power-sharing deal on Sept. 15.

"The expectation is that there is going to be some agreement so that the country moves forward, and it will be very unfortunate if there are people who think this process, that these consultations, can go on forever," said the official, who declined to be named.

The official would not say what action Mugabe may take if a deal was not reached soon.

"We are negotiating in good faith but I don't think you can say the same thing about ZANU-PF," said Nelson Chamisa, a spokesman for Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Mugabe will also meet Arthur Mutambara, leader of a smaller, breakaway faction of the MDC.

Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara met on Saturday and failed to settle differences over the finance and home affairs ministries in a new Zimbabwean government.

The opposition accuses Mugabe's party of trying to assign it a junior role in government and says only mediation can break a deadlock in talks.