_WORLD WATCH______________________________
____________________ Zimbabwe ________________

Brought to their knees
Repression brings a prayerful response
When the ruling party headed by President Robert Mugabe pushed a series of new laws through the country’s legislature, imposing tight new restraints on the activities of opposition political parties, the members of those opposition groups chose an unusual way to dramatize their disappointment. They dropped to their knees on the floor of the parliament chamber, and began ostentatiously to pray.

Opposition to Mugabe’s authoritarian rule has become closely associated with the Christian churches of Zimbabwe. Church leaders have frequently criticized the government for its efforts to intimidate opponents, and for the flagrant use of political power to enrich the members of the ruling clique. Although the country will go to the polls in the spring, the prospects for a free and open ballot are remote. Mugabe’s government has now made it virtually impossible for opposition candidates to mount public campaigns, and the government itself is the only legal source of information for the voters—a policy that thwarts the efforts of non-partisan groups (including the churches) to inform voters about the issues.

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