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MDC leader barred from public speaking
AFP
August 06, 2004

Harare - Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has been barred by police from speaking at a series of meetings of his Movement for Democratic Change party over the past ten days, his spokesman said. Tsvangirai "is very concerned about this new development which casts serious doubt as to whether Zimbabwe can have a free and fair election in 2005," said his spokesman William Bango. "In the past 10 days, the Zimbabwe Republic Police have barred President Morgan Tsvangirai from addressing 11 meetings convened for grassroots officials," said Bango. Although national security laws make it obligatory for anyone wishing to hold a public meeting to seek permission from police at least four days before the event, the spokesman stressed that political parties had to merely inform them, "not ask for their approval." "Tsvangirai believes the police are abusing their powers in denying a political leader of his stature, with millions of supporters and followers, from performing his national duties," Bango said.

He stressed that the meetings were not public rallies but intra-party discussions. Tsvangirai is mulling legal action. Police reportedly refused to clear the meetings citing such reasons as lack of manpower to police the meetings, or because the ruling Zanu PF had already booked the same venue. Tsvangirai, whose four-year old party holds more than a third of the parliamentary seats, has vowed that the MDC will fight for electoral reforms ahead of the elections in March. An array of laws exists which may drastically limit the MDC's hopes of being on a par with the ruling party in the run-up to the elections. The MDC does not have access to any broadcasting media and the government has closed down three independent newspapers in the past year. In 2002, Tsvangirai lost the presidential polls which were slammed by international rights groups as unfair and is challenging the outcome in court.

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