Tsvangirai says Zimbabwe talks deadline flexible

DAKAR (Reuters) - Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said on Thursday he was "fairly satisfied" with talks with President Robert Mugabe's party to end a political crisis, and said a Monday, August 4 deadline was "not inflexible".

Tsvangirai, engaged in a bitter struggle with Mugabe since a presidential election in March in which the opposition leader says he was cheated of victory, said talks would resume as planned on Sunday with Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

"I am fairly satisfied, but there are, like in any negotiations, sticking points that need to be unraveled," Tsvangirai told reporters in Dakar after meeting Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade.

The talks began in South Africa last week but were adjourned on Tuesday. A framework for the talks signed on July 21 committed both sides to concluding negotiations by August 4.

"Two weeks may appear too short, but it is not inflexible and I am sure that the facilitation will adjust as progress moves forward," he said. South Africa has taken a lead in mediation between the opposing camps in Zimbabwe.

(Reporting by David Lewis; editing by Alistair Thomson)