HARARE: Conciliatory moves on both sides in Zimbabwe’s polarized politics have raised hopes for a break in a long-standing impasse, analysts say.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which had adopted a confrontational stance with the government, last week ended a boycott of President Robert Mugabe’s address to parliament.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who organized national public anti-government strikes this year, said it was time to “clear the air for a peaceful political engagement”.

His party said despite the “barbaric acts of provocation” from pro-government supporters it had decided to “lower the threshold on tensions in Zimbabwe and to encourage (the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union — Patriotic Front) ZANU-PF to turn its back on violence and work for peace and resolution of the crisis”.

“Our action was calculated to reduce political tensions in the country with a view to amicable negotiations for a dignified exit for ... Mugabe from the political scene,” said the MDC.

Mugabe in turn openly recognized the action taken by the MDC lawmakers saying there was need to work together with the opposition.

“The call to all of us, including the MDC, is to work together...in parliament and outside parliament,” said Mugabe.

“You may not like our faces. You may say I am an old man, it doesn’t matter...I am still your old man. Let’s work together,” Mugabe told the lawmakers.

The apparent reconciliatory gestures by both sides led church leaders to step up efforts to try to bring the two previously heavily polarized sides to the negotiating table.

Talks between the two sides brokered by South Africa and Nigeria reached a deadlock last year after the MDC filed a legal petition charging that Mugabe’s re-election in March last year was plagued by irregularities.

Private media have speculated that the apparent thawing of hostilities between the government and the MDC was a result of informal contacts between the opposition party and South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Leading Zimbabwe church officials — one of whom was arrested early this year at a public meeting to discuss the country’s crises, and another who was signatory to a Roman Catholic pastoral letter to Mugabe — have been meeting the two sides separately.

Political commentators say the two political foes realize that the current political impasse in the country is unsustainable and have been forced to shift their hardline stances.

“Now there is a realization that the era of politicking is over and what is expected (of the political forces) is to deliver results to the nation to show responsibility,” University of Zimbabwe political scientist Joseph Kurembwa told AFP.

“Both sides are now realizing that there is a new emerging force which is unifying the people — economic hardships — and that is beginning to shape up as a unifying force,” he said of the hyper-inflationary economy.

Zimbabwe’s annual inflation stood at 365 per cent last month, one of the highest in the world, and nearly 80 per cent of the population live in abject poverty.

The country has also been rocked by shortages of nearly all basic commodities, as well as a foreign exchange crunch that has left the country dry of imported fuel.—AFP