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Zimbabwe to relax security laws | Zimbabwe to relax security laws |
(10 minutes later) | |
Zimbabwe's government is to ease its tough security and media laws, responding to opposition demands at talks to end the political crisis. | Zimbabwe's government is to ease its tough security and media laws, responding to opposition demands at talks to end the political crisis. |
The existing laws have been used to block opposition political rallies and to shut down the private press. | The existing laws have been used to block opposition political rallies and to shut down the private press. |
Under the changes, the police must give reasons to ban a rally and a magistrate can be asked to overturn a ban. | Under the changes, the police must give reasons to ban a rally and a magistrate can be asked to overturn a ban. |
President Robert Mugabe was last week confirmed as his party's candidate in elections due next March. | President Robert Mugabe was last week confirmed as his party's candidate in elections due next March. |
The revisions were agreed at talks brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki between the ruling Zanu-PF party and the two opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions. | |
Details of the talks have been mostly secret but on Sunday, one MDC group said they were "deadlocked". | |
Bi-partisan | |
The Public Order and Security Act (Posa), the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa) and the Broadcasting Services Act are to be amended. | The Public Order and Security Act (Posa), the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa) and the Broadcasting Services Act are to be amended. |
At present, those who intend to organise public meetings, political rallies or demonstrations can only appeal to the minister of home affairs if the police ban their meeting. | At present, those who intend to organise public meetings, political rallies or demonstrations can only appeal to the minister of home affairs if the police ban their meeting. |
President Mugabe is trying to extend his 27 years in office | |
In March, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was severely assaulted after being arrested for attending a banned rally. | |
Mr Mugabe later said he had "asked for it" by ignoring police warnings. | |
Under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa), there will be changes to the commission that regulates the country's media. | |
Members of the commission are to be named from a list submitted by a bi-partisan parliamentary committee and should have media experience, reports the Reuters news agency. | |
Journalists' unions will also be on the commission, says AFP. | |
Although the media is to be opened to foreign owners, foreign journalists will remain barred from working permanently in the country. | |
In 2003, Zimbabwe's best-selling daily newspaper, the Daily News was closed down, after a series of run-ins with the government. | |
It is still trying to be allowed to publish again. |
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