Fri, 19:22 13 Jun 2008 GMT17

 

FACTBOX-Facts about Zimbabwe's Tsvangirai
04 Jun 2008 16:14:24 GMT
Source: Reuters
June 4 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change said its leader Morgan Tsvangirai was detained at a police roadblock on Wednesday in an attempt to derail his presidential election campaign.

Below are some 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 in a 2000 parliamentary vote.

* Tsvangirai was acquitted of plotting to assassinate Mugabe and seize power before a 2002 presidential election.

* 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 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 helped revive his sagging political fortunes.

* The second round follows the disputed 2008 presidential election 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 [nL04796753] (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)
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Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe leaves the podium during a U.N. crisis summit on rising food prices at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome June 3, 2008. World leaders opened ...



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