Zimbabwe

MDC calls for general strike

Article published on the 2008-04-14 Latest update 2008-04-15 09:19 TU

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe (l) and the leader of the oppositon Morgan Tsvangirai (r).
(Photos : Reuters / Montage : RFI)

Zimbabwe's opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change has repeated its call for a country-wide general strike on Tuesday.
The High Court in Harare refused the MDC's demand for the immediate release of results from the presidential election held on 29 March 2008.

The MDC declared victory in the presidential election but the  official results have still not been published. The opposition appealed to Zimbabwe's highest court to force the announcement of election results, as they believe that the delay is being used by the ruling Zanu-PF party to tamper with the ballots.

“We thought that the law was going to take its course and legality was going to be respected but clearly the decision is political," MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa told RFI.

 

The opposition party was confirmed as the new parliamentary majority in a simultaneously-held election, but these results are now being reviewed after the ruling ZANU-PF party called for a recount.

Incumbent President Robert Mugabe has been in power since 1980 and has been re-elected three times.