US says acquittal of Zimbabwe opposition leader a 'positive development'

WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (AFP) - The United States on Friday welcomed the acquittal on treason charges of Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and said it hoped the verdict would mark the end of authoritarian President Robert Mugabe's crackdown on dissent.
Even as the government rejected the acquittal and said it might seek further legal action against Tsvangirai, the State Department said Washington saw the move as a sign that political reconciliation might be possible but only if substantial reforms were enacted.
"We would hope that this signals the end of the politically motivated prosecutions and that it would open the door to constructive dialogue between Zimbabwe's political parties," spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters.
"This acquittal we see as a positive development and we would hope that it signals the government of Zimbabwe is ready to approach the upcoming parliamentary elections in the spirit of election guidelines that are prevalent in the region," he said.
Boucher said that reforms would have to be enacted to ensure that the March polls meet international standards and expressed concern that changes to election regulations now being considered by the government "fail to address fundamental flaws in the election environment."
For the elections to be free and fair, Zimbabwe needs an independent election commission, rules to enforce equal media access for all political parties, commitments to ensure freedom of speech and assembly during the campaign and a halt to all political violence, he said.
"Those are the kind of steps that we are looking for and if this positive development of the acquittal is to lead to anything better, it's going to have to be followed by serious steps like these for electoral reform," Boucher said.
Earlier Friday, Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was cleared of charges of plotting to kill Mugabe, a step he said could pave the way for a national reconciliation in the deeply divided nation.
But Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the government "is of the strong view that the accused, Morgan Tsvangirai, has been wrongly acquitted" and "reserves the right to exercise other options available to it in terms of the law."
Charges of high treason were brought against Tsvangirai based on a secretly filmed meeting he had in 2001 with a Canadian-based political consultant. The government alleged the videotape of the meeting showed Tsvangirai seeking help to kill Mugabe and stage a coup.
But Tsvangirai, who could have faced the death penalty if found guilty, was acquitted on Friday by Judge Paddington Garwe of the Harare High Court who said the state had not been able to prove its case "beyond reasonable doubt."
The United States, along with Britain, have led an international criticism of Mugabe for crackdowns on dissent, press and free speech rights and his controversial land reform programs which they say have exacerbated Zimbabwe's poor economic situation and living conditions.