Zimbabwe MDC 'in unity boycott'

Harare, 16 Oct-(ANA)-Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said his MDC party has "disengaged" from the unity government after the jailing of a senior official.

He said the MDC would not continue working with President Robert Mugabe's party until all outstanding issues of a power-sharing deal had been dealt with.

Roy Bennett, nominated by his party as deputy agriculture minister, was jailed this week to face terrorism charges.

It showed Zanu-PF to be an "unreliable" partner, Mr Tsvangirai said.

"It has brought home the reality that as a movement we have an unreliable and unrepentant partner in the transitional government," AFP quotes him as saying.

Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai agreed to share power in February after disputed elections last year marred by violence.

But since then their parties have failed to agree on appointees for provincial governors, the central bank governor and the attorney general.

The Movement for Democratic Change also accuses Zanu-PF of persecuting its legislators and activists.

Zimbabwean journalist Brian Hungwe has been quoted as saying the MDC was not yet pulling out of the coalition government and was open to talks to break the impasse.

But  prime minister TSvangirai also accused Zanu-PF of beginning to set up militia bases in the countryside, and militarising state institutions ahead of future elections.

Mr Tsvangirai said the MDC was officially pulling out of cabinet and council of ministers meetings as well as routine Monday meetings between the leaders of the three parties in the national unity government.

Mr Bennett is due to stand trial on 19 October on charges of terrorism, insurgency, sabotage and banditry. If convicted he faces a life jail term.

"Roy Bennett is not being prosecuted, he is being persecuted," Mr Tsvangirai said.

Mr Bennett was initially arrested and jailed in February, on the day ministers in the coalition government were sworn in.

He was released on bail in March before a judge ordered that he return to prison on Wednesday.

Mr Bennett, a white farmer whose land was seized under Mr Mugabe's land reform programme, fled to South Africa in 2006 saying he feared for his life, before returning to serve in the government. (ANA)

FA/ANA/16 October 2009---