HARARE, Zimbabwe — Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said Saturday that his efforts to restore democratic freedoms and the rule of law to Zimbabwe have so far failed.
The former opposition leader took his Movement for Democratic Change into a coalition government with longtime autocratic President Robert Mugabe in February to end the country’s deadlock and economic collapse.
But Tsvangirai gave his party’s annual convention a bleak assessment of Zimbabwe’s situation and said that hard-liners backing Mugabe were frustrating progress.
"Our people do not live free from fear, hunger and poverty,” he said.
There was only limited freedom of movement and expression, he said.
His comments reflected the tensions wracking the so-called unity government. But despite the unhappiness, Tsvangirai has so far shown no sign that he will pull his party out of the coalition. Tsvangirai had been frozen out of office, until Mugabe was forced to enter the unity government.
Tsvangirai and more than 1,000 delegates to the two-day convention wore red T-shirts emblazoned with a new slogan: "Together to the end. Marching to a New Zimbabwe.”
Money sought
Tendai Biti, Tsvangirai’s finance minister, has appealed for $8 billion to rebuild the shattered economy. But most donors and investors have insisted more reforms and the rule of law be in place before they commit funds.
Tsvangirai told his party loyalists Saturday the adoption of hard currency as the country’s legal tender halted world-record inflation of 500 billion percent in the now abandoned local currency.
More humanitarian aid was also being received to restore health services and collapsed utilities.
by the associated press
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