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Zimbabwe's Tsvangirai detained

Jun 04 2008

Zimbabwe's Tsvangirai detained

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Arab World

By Agencies

Tsvangirai is running against President Mugabe in a run-off vote [AFP]

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, has been detained by police at a roadblock while campaigning in the presidential run-off vote, members of his party have said.

George Sibotshiwe, Tsvangirai's spokesman, said: "They are saying there's a commanding officer whom we should wait for. They are not saying why they are holding us up.

Sibotshiwe said 14 party officials in total were being held at the police station in Lupane, north of the city of Bulawayo.

"It's not an arrest but illegal detention. It appears they want to disrupt our campaign programme," he said.

Tsvangirai has been detained since 1000 GMT. Police searched all vehicles and inspected documents, the MDC said.

Presidential run-off

Tsvangirai has been trying to rally support as he prepares to face Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's president, in the June 27 presidential run-off election.

Both Mugabe and Tsvangirai say they are confident of victory.

Looking ahead to a post-election transition, Tsvangirai said his government will reform the civil service, judiciary and security forces, but he pledged not to purge pro-Mugabe officials.

After elections on March 29, Mugabe's Zanu-PF party lost its majority in parliament for the first time in 28 years and Tsvangirai won the presidential election, but without the overall majority required for an outright win.

A delay in the release of election results triggered a wave of violence across the country, particularly in rural areas.

The MDC says that since March more than 50 people have been killed by elements of Zanu-PF in election-related attacks.