S. Africa Power-Sharing Talks Snagged on Eve of 2nd Round : Reform: Dispute between government and ANC dims hopes of accord soon on writing a new constitution.

Five months of behind-the-scenes talks between black and white leaders hit a serious snag late Thursday night, dimming hopes of far-reaching agreements at today’s historic second meeting of the country’s negotiating forum.

The government and the African National Congress, the most important of 19 parties in the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (Codesa), failed Thursday to reach agreement on the percentage of votes that would be required for a new, multiracial Parliament to approve a new constitution.

The deadlock threatened to undo months of work by Codesa negotiating committees, which have already agreed on a variety of important matters, including an interim government that would give blacks a say in governing the country and in overseeing the security forces.

President Frederik W. de Klerk, ANC President Nelson Mandela and 17 other political leaders in Codesa are to meet today to give their formal stamp of approval to the negotiated achievements. But the outcome of the meeting was cast in doubt by the disagreements in one Codesa committee, which is charged with deciding how--and by whom--the new constitution will be written.

The last-minute troubles were yet another indication of how rocky the road toward a multiracial democracy has become in South Africa.

The committee is to meet again this morning in hopes of reaching a compromise, but negotiators are not hopeful.

If no agreement is reached, the matter would either come up for debate before the full meeting of Codesa or be delayed for further discussions.

It was not clear whether other agreements reached by Codesa committees, including the establishment of an interim government, would still be approved at today’s general meeting.

Under tentative agreements reached so far by Codesa, the first phase of the three-stage transition to a new constitution would be an interim government, which would level the playing field for national elections.

During that interim period, which could begin as early as July or August, the key functions of the current white-minority government would be overseen by committees composed of all 19 political parties in Codesa. But any decisions would require an 80% majority of those panels, which would effectively mean that the government and the ruling National Party would need only one other ally to block any decisions.

That interim phase would pave the way for a second step, in which blacks as well as whites would elect a new Parliament. That Parliament, in the third step, would write a new constitution.

The disagreements Thursday night arose over that new Parliament.

The ANC and the government, whose agreement is essential to the success of any compromise, both believe that the new Parliament should have two chambers. One would be elected in a one-person, one-vote election and the other, the Senate, would be heavily weighted in favor of regions, giving whites and other minorities a say out of proportion to their numbers.

But the ANC wants the first chamber alone to be able to approve any new constitution, on the basis of a two-thirds majority. That would presumably give the ANC more say in the constitution and De Klerk’s party less power to block any decisions it did not like.

The government, on the other hand, wants to require a 75% majority to approve any new constitution. And it wants the Senate to have the right to approve any final constitution. Such power, the government believes, would prevent the ANC from dictating its demands to the country.

Both sides said Thursday that their positions are immovable.

The government contended that it is bound by its promises to white voters during the recent referendum campaign and by a party caucus decision.

“Those parameters are fixed, and I say all of those are reasonable, and I cannot see why we cannot resolve the problem,” said Roelf Meyer, who is the government’s minister of constitutional development.

The ANC says it is bound to its position by its executive committee. And ANC leaders contended Thursday that the government is trying to cling to power by giving itself a veto over any new constitution.