VOA News
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011 at 11:00 pm UTC
A coalition of human rights groups in Zimbabwe says free and fair elections are unlikely and government abuses are escalating.
Leaders of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition told reporters Wednesday security forces loyal to longtime president Robert Mugabe have been arresting cabinet ministers, lawmakers, and activists.
They said the human rights situation in Zimbabwe is getting worse and worse, and they predict violence would further intensify if elections are held this year.
Mr. Mugabe was forced into a power-sharing government with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai after a disputed election in 2008. Since then, the longtime rivals have been at odds and the country's political future remains uncertain.
Mr. Mugabe has called for new elections to be held later this year. Mr. Tsvangirai has objected, saying Zimbabwe must first ensure that conditions are in place for a free and fair election.
U.S.-based Human Rights Watch earlier this month accused security forces and Mr. Mugabe's party of beating, torturing and killing political opponents. The rights group also faulted the power-sharing government that includes Mr. Tsvangirai's party for failing to follow through on a commitment to human rights reform.
No comments:
Post a Comment