Zimbabwe (MRB Oct 01 2001): Power struggle inside opposition.

With the world's attention turned away to focus on the US and its war against terrorism, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change is claiming that President Robert Mugabe has increased harassment of opposition members in the run-up to elections. MDC spokesman Learnmore Jongwe claimed that "Zanu-PF (the ruling party) is fanning divisions and creating violence in MDC to use it as an excuse to attack our members". There is speculation Mugabe will bring the election date forward to take advantage of the weakness.

Jongwe said that an attack this month on MDC MP Job Sikhala (who is also the MDC's security chief and a member of its policy-making national executive) was "spearheaded by well known Zanu-PF members and members of the CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation, the secret service) and some members who claimed to have defected from Zanu-PF to join the MDC".

However, some party insiders say the clashes are part of a wider power struggle in the party, involving plans by some senior MDC officials to oust Morgan Tsvangirai as presidential candidate - allegedly because he was not sufficiently well-educated. The former trade union leader has a secondary school education.

Political analysts said the high-profile battles in the MDC represent a major weakening of domestic opposition to Mugabe, increasing ...