Tsvangirai reveals talks stalled over freedom of assembly

By Tichaona Sibanda
21 November 2007

MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai revealed on Wednesday that talks between his party and the ruling Zanu-PF party have made progress, but have been held up over the issue of freedom of assembly.

Speaking in Kampala, Uganda ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting that begins on Friday, Tsvangirai said while he was happy the talks had made some ground, the crucial test will come during the implementation phase.

He told journalists that besides the setback on the issue of freedom of assembly, he was nonetheless confident that the agenda set through the South African led mediation would address the fundamental concerns around holding free and fair elections.

Fambai Ngirande, an advocacy officer with the National Association for Non Governmental Organisations, said it was clear Tsvangirai meant Zanu-PF were reluctant to repeal repressive laws such as POSA and AIPPA. Demonstrations in the country are always violently broken up by the police under the cover of these two oppressive pieces of legislation.

Activists are barred from holding consultative or political meetings and authorities in the country have lately cancelled all opposition political rallies, especially in the last two months.

Ngirande, who attended Tsvangirai’s press briefing, said elections in Zimbabwe could never be held under such laws, where people are not allowed to gather as a group.

‘When people talk of Zanu-PF having a big advantage over the opposition, they would be referring to such instances. There is no way the opposition can go into an election with such restrictive laws,’ Ngirande said.

During previous elections in the country, opposition supporters have been tortured and killed by government forces and supporters of the ruling party. The country’s economy is in meltdown, with the highest rate of inflation in the world, and millions have fled abroad.