ZIMBABWE:UP TO 300 supporters of Zimbabwe's main opposition who were taking refuge at the party's Harare headquarters from post-election violence were arrested yesterday after armed police raided their offices and those of independent election monitors.
Many of the arrested had come to Harare, a traditional Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) stronghold, from the capital's surrounding rural areas seeking shelter and protection following attacks and the destruction of their homes by militia loyal to the ruling regime. The refugees, along with all the MDC staff on the premises, were taken away by police on a bus.
The police said the raid was carried out to find individuals suspected of carrying out arson attacks in the rural Mashonaland east district in the aftermath of the disputed March 29th poll. But they also seized computers and documents, prompting some commentators to suggest that they were seeking to confiscate data held by the MDC on the provisional results of the presidential and parliamentary elections.
National police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said that officers had been searching for perpetrators of violence hiding among the refugees in the multistorey building.
"We do know that too many people have taken shelter at the MDC offices and we suspect some . . . have committed arson attacks . . . and have come to hide in some safe houses," he said.
"We have just taken all of them. We believe that some of the suspects may be among these people so we are screening them."
Police carried out a second raid at the Harare offices of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, an election observer group, and confiscated records using a warrant to find documents which could topple the government.
MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa dismissed the official reason given for the raid , calling it an act of desperation by President Robert Mugabe's ruling regime.
"What shocked us is the behaviour of this defeated outfit. Why they are on the warpath against the people boggles the mind. This is systematic harassment . . . What is clear is that these people are desperate and they can do anything," he told reporters.
Violence against MDC supporters has risen steadily during the four weeks since Zimbabwe's general election, and according to the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights the majority of the 325 victims they had treated by the middle of last week claimed police or soldiers carried out the attacks.
Zimbabweans are still awaiting the release of the official presidential election result by the state-appointed Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. While the opposition won control of parliament by 100 seats to 97, the results of a partial recount in 23 constituencies may overturn those gains.
Despite the delays, independent election monitors claim results posted outside the polling stations 24 hours after polling show MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the presidential election, although he may not have secured the absolute majority needed to avoid a run-off against Mr Mugabe.
In South Africa, the main opposition Democratic Alliance presented proposals to the foreign affairs ministry on how to tackle Zimbabwe's electoral crisis.
If the presidential election results were not released within five days, and the state-sponsored violence did not cease, the alliance said that the government could, among other things, push for Zimbabwe's suspension from the African Union, refuse to recognise Mugabe's government and consider imposing economic sanctions on it.
The head of South Africa's ruling ANC condemned the raids. He said it appeared that "somebody is sabotaging the elections".
Jacob Zuma said that incidents like yesterday's raids made the country resemble a police state.
Mr Zuma added that it was inexplicable why election results had still not been announced.
Additional reporting: AP