New laws a first step for Zim

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Johannesburg - President Robert Mugabe's government appears to have taken first steps towards amending controversial press and security laws under pressure from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and African negotiators, it emerged on Saturday.

The Zimbabwe authorities published three key bills which are likely to be fast-tracked through parliament soon: the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Bill, the Public Order and Security Amendment Bill and the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill, according to legal sources.

It was not immediately possible to obtain copies of the proposed legislation to see how far-reaching the amendments are.

During several months of delicate inter-party talks mediated by South African president Thabo Mbeki, the MDC has been pushing for changes to the press and security laws as a key condition for its participation in parliamentary and presidential polls next year.

Unconfirmed reports this week suggested the talks were near collapse because of what MDC negotiators saw as the Mugabe party's unwillingness to meet some of its demands.

The opposition complains that the security laws, which forbid all public gatherings without police permission, have been used selectively to clamp down on opposition rallies.

The press laws, brought in shortly after Mugabe's disputed presidential win in 2002, have been used to chase out reporters from the private and foreign press, and to close down at least four newspapers sympathetic to the MDC.

In a summary of the proposed new legislation, legal sources said the AIPPA Amendment Bill provided for the revision of procedures whereby journalists are licensed. The highly-controversial Media and Information Council could also be reconstituted.

Changes to POSA would allow those wishing to hold rallies urgent access to a magistrate to appeal against prohibition orders.

- SAPA