Zimbabwe eases limits on media, security

Zimbabwe's president has approved laws easing restrictions on political rallies and the media ahead of upcoming presidential elections.

Under international pressure to give Zimbabwe's opposition a greater voice and help save the collapsing economy that has seen inflation rise exponentially, President Robert Mugabe approved the laws on Jan. 11, state media reported Saturday.

It was unclear whether the autocratic president would follow through on the measures, which are part of ongoing talks between the ruling party and the opposition mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Although the opposition gave a muted welcome to the new measures, it says nothing short of a new constitution will guarantee that polling will be free and fair — a comment echoed by many civic groups.

Mugabe's government insists there is not enough time to meet all the opposition demands ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections in March, but has refused to delay the vote till June, as demanded by the opposition.

Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since 1980, is widely expected to retain the presidency given his party's hold on power and divisions in the opposition movement.

The new laws are a concession on paper by Mugabe, but the state media report left vague how they would be put into practice.

One measure would ease the traditionally stringent requirements for police clearance for political rallies.

In the past, strict security measures were used to ban opposition meetings and police moved in aggressively against demonstrators. Under the new rules, only courts will have the power to prevent political activities on security grounds.

The state-controlled newspaper said the legislation came into immediate effect. It faces its first major test on Wednesday, when the opposition Movement for Democratic Change plans to hold a "Freedom Walk" in Harare to protest the worsening economic hardships and press its demands for constitutional reform.

Another new measure will revise Zimbabwe's strict media laws and provide for a new licensing authority for journalists — known as the Zimbabwe Media Commission — and the relaxation of some licensing rules.

Independent media groups — which are virtually outlawed at present — say this will be put to the test in the coming weeks. Foreign journalists, who have routinely been denied visas and state media accreditation to visit Zimbabwe, are waiting to see if they will be allowed in.

There are also new electoral laws allowing opposition lawmakers to nominate some members of the Electoral Commission, but it is unclear how much weight will be given to their choices or whether Mugabe can reject their nominations.

Critics say the new laws do not go far enough and that the election commission will still be stacked in favor of the government and ruling party. There is also no guarantee for the presence of independent foreign election observers.

Mugabe insists only visiting observers from "friendly progressive nations" will be permitted to monitor polling, effectively excluding Western monitors of the European Union, Britain and the United States.

Zimbabwe's last two elections were widely criticized as fraudulent. After the last polls, the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions against an increasingly autocratic Mugabe and his chief associates.

Mbeki, who was appointed mediator after a brutal government clampdown last March, visited Harare on Thursday for talks as part of his ongoing mediation with Mugabe and opposition leaders that ended inconclusively.

Mbeki told reporters in Harare that work was still in progress on what he called outstanding "impediments." There is a news blackout on the talks and Mbeki did not elaborate, although the opposition demands for a new constitution are the main holdout.