Power-sharing talks between Zimbabwe's rival political parties were going smoothly Monday, a South African official said.

Mukoni Ratshitanga, spokesman for mediator President Thabo Mbeki, said the talks resumed Sunday and were continuing at an undisclosed location in the South African administrative capital Pretoria to try to end Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis, according to the South African Press Association.

Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai have agreed to discuss sharing power although their future roles are expected to be major sticking points in the talks, said the reports.

Officials close to the talks said opposition negotiators were unhappy with the government's insistence that Mugabe remain president with Tsvangirai serving as one of several vice presidents. Both men say they won elections and should be at the helm.

However, there are indications that the two leaders are prepared to compromise, according to the reports.

Mugabe said in a televised statement last week that compromises needed to be made even if they were sometimes "difficult."

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2008)