HARARE: President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai are "poles apart" on fundamental issues affecting their unity government, a minister said Monday after Zimbabwe's feuding leaders held talks.

The two leaders met for the first time in 10 days in a bid to restore power-sharing ties but failed to make progress, said Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

"The principals met. Sadly and tragically the stalemate continues," Chamisa, who is also a government minister, told AFP after the three-hour talks in Harare. "We are poles apart on fundamental issues."