Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

FACTBOX-Key facts about Zimbabwe's Tsvangirai
16 May 2008 12:45:24 GMT
Source: Reuters
May 16 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe said on Friday it would hold a delayed presidential election run-off on June 27 in which opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai hopes to oust veteran leader Robert Mugabe after almost 30 years in power.

Below are some key facts about Tsvangirai:

* Tsvangirai is a former union leader who has been a thorn in Mugabe's side for a decade as the head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the main opposition group.

* The son of a bricklayer, Tsvangirai was born in 1952 in central Zimbabwe.

* He worked in a mine to feed his family and cut his political teeth in the labour movement as a mine foreman.

* Tsvangirai helped found the MDC in 1999. Despite intimidation, it stunned the ruling party by winning 57 of 120 seats at stake in a 2000 parliamentary vote.

* Tsvangirai was acquitted of plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe and seize power before 2002 presidential elections.

* Mugabe's party won a crushing majority in a 2005 parliamentary election, which the MDC said was rigged.

* The MDC split in 2005 in a bitter feud over how to tackle Mugabe. A splinter group accused Tsvangirai of behaving in a dictatorial fashion.

* Tsvangirai was arrested at an anti-Mugabe rally in 2007. He said he had been attacked at a police station. Critics said the incident help revive his sagging political fortunes.

* The long-awaited second round follows the disputed 2008 presidential elections in which official results showed Tsvangirai beat Mugabe, but not by enough votes to avoid a run-off. For a related story, please click on [nL16861334] (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/ ) (Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)


AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article       Send comments

Emergencies

•  Zimbabwe crisis

MORE >>

NGO latest

•  AIR SERV INTERNATIONAL MYANMAR RESPONSE UPDATE
Air Serv International

•  VOLUNTEERS NOW BOARDING AT PLATFORM2
Christian Aid - UK

•  Christian Aid: Tax evasion costs 1,000 children's lives a day
Christian Aid - UK

•  Gates Foundation awards $1 million to World Vision for Emergency Relief Efforts in Myanmar
WV - USA

•  Release: Refugees International Welcomes New Board Members
Refugees International - USA

MORE >>

Latest news

•  FACTBOX-Key facts about Zimbabwe's President Mugabe

•  FACTBOX-Key facts about Zimbabwe's Tsvangirai

•  Zimbabwe sets presidential run-off for June 27

•  FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, May 16

•  "Hungry" Nigeria oil hijackers slash ransom demand

MORE >>
AlertNet news is provided by

Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-05-08T132218Z_01_CAP01_RTRIDSP_2_ZIMBABWE-ELECTION-REUTERS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/CAP01.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-05-01T164643Z_01_AFR11_RTRIDSP_2_ZIMBABWE_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AFR11.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-05-01T163908Z_01_AFR10_RTRIDSP_2_ZIMBABWE_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AFR10.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-04-25T131848Z_01_AFR02_RTRIDSP_2_ZIMBABWE-ELECTION_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AFR02.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-04-25T131505Z_01_AFR01_RTRIDSP_2_ZIMBABWE-ELECTION_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AFR01.htm

REFILE-ADDING INFORMATION Reuters photographer Howard Burditt, shown here in this undated file picture, has been detained for three days for allegedly using a satellite phone to transmit pictures. Burditt, a Zimbabwean ...



Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Fri May 16 12:47:54 2008