MDC encouraged in Zambia

2005-01-12 14:23

Lusaka - Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa on Tuesday met Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai who was encouraged to participate in March polls in the Southern African country, an official said here.

Tsvangirai, who leads the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the main opposition to the government of President Robert Mugabe, arrived in the Zambian capital on Monday, where he met ruling party members.

"We have advised them not to boycott parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe because it would weaken their position," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"We gave them an example of the Zambian situation when the former ruling party boycotted the 1996 elections that led to their losing influence in parliament as well as national politics," the official said.

Pressure was mounting on the MDC to participate in parliamentary polls in Zimbabwe set for March to challenge Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe Africa National Union - Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) party.

The MDC's secretay-general Welshman Ncube said last week the party hierarchy will meet by the end of January, with a decision on its participation in the polls expected by the first week of February.

The party has vowed not to contest the watershed poll unless Mugabe's government carries out major electoral reforms in line with other countries in the 13-member Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Before meeting Mwanawasa, Tsvangirai held private talks with the country's biggest opposition party, the United Party for National Development (UPND) where the leaders shared their concern for the lack of good governance in African countries, an official said.

"We also discussed issues to do with the lack of access to state media by the opposition in both Zambia and Zimbabwe," said UPND spokesman Patrick Chisanga.

The Zimbabwean opposition leader later met representatives of the country's umbrella Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) where issues of governance was also discussed before meeting civil society groups.

Tsvangirai was expected to leave Zambia on Wednesday. - AFP

- SAPA