Fresh political violence undermines Zimbabwe talks

Harare: Zimababwe's opposition on Friday accused government security forces of murdering a polling agent in fresh political violence that could undermine preliminary talks with President Robert Mugabe's ruling party.

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from a June 27 presidential run-off poll, citing attacks on his supporters by pro-Mugabe militia. The MDC and Western powers branded Mugabe's landslide re-election a sham.

Tsvangirai's MDC and a smaller faction led by Arthur Mutambara began preliminary discussions on Thursday with officials from Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF under the auspices of South African mediators in Pretoria, the South African capital.

"Yes, the talks are continuing," a diplomatic source close to the talks said on Friday. Tsvangirai's MDC has played down the importance of the talks.

"There hasn't been any dialogue as far as we are concerned, but what I can confirm, though, is that we have had consultative contacts with a view to outlining the broad parameters, the framework of the negotiation," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said.

A total of 113 MDC activists have been killed in election-related violence since the first round of elections in late March, the party said in a statement announcing the death of one of its officials, Gift Mutsvungunu.

His decomposing body was found in a Harare suburb on Thursday, with eyes gouged out and a severely burned backside," it said. "There is reasonable suspicion that state security agents killed him."