| Zimbabwe’s Crackdown Intensifies With Banning of Political Rallies |
|
|
|
 Johannesburg (The New York Times) Apr.12.- A day before southern Africa’s leaders hold an emergency session on Zimbabwe’s disputed election, the government of the beleaguered nation appeared to tighten its control on Friday, banning political rallies, continuing its crackdown on the opposition and arresting the lawyer of its chief rival, Morgan Tsvangirai.The Movement for Democratic Change, Mr. Tsvangirai’s party, said Friday that more than 1,000 of its supporters had been attacked or arrested since the voting took place on March 29, fueling a growing chorus of international criticism of President Robert Mugabe’s handling of the elections. In an interview, Mr. Tsvangirai, who independent monitors say may have won an outright majority in the election, reiterated his party’s decision to boycott a runoff against Mr. Mugabe. But he left an opening, saying he would reconsider if African leaders guaranteed the fairness of the tally in the first round and the security of his supporters during a runoff. “There could be a runoff if it’s organized credibly,” he said ... [ full text ] |
