Zimbabwe Police fire tear gas at protesters demanding fair vote

Police in Zimbabwe fired tear gas and
water cannon to disperse scores of
opposition supporters demanding fair
elections next year.
Around 100 young supporters of the
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
took to the streets of Harare on Wednesday
to protest against what they say are plans
by the country's electoral body to ensure a
victory for 93-year-old President Robert
Mugabe.
Riot police attempted to stop protesters
from marching in the city centre, firing
tear gas canisters and water at activists
and shoppers from police trucks.
A water cannon truck fired in the direction of Al Jazeera reporter Haru Mutasa as protests in Harare were under way [Al Jazeera]
Some young people set fire to cardboard on
the streets but police quickly doused the
flames with water.
"Heavily armed police officers brutally
crushed our peaceful demonstration," MDC
youth secretary general Lovemore
Chinoputsa said in a statement.
Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa, reporting from
Harare, said: "There is a nationwide ban
on protesting. People are not allowed to
come out to the streets and show that they
are angry."
A truck spraying water cannon fired
towards our correspondent as she was
reporting.
"Riot police and water cannon trucks are
driving around city trying to disperse
people. People are running for cover,"
Mutasa said.
A police riot car fires a water cannon on burning barricades during a demonstration calling for electoral reform in Harare [Philimon Bulawayo/ Reuters]
Police spokesman Paul Nyathi said "some
people" who had been "causing
disturbances" were arrested.
The MDC wants the electoral commission to
create a new voters' roll and increase the
number of locations where voters can
register in urban strongholds.
Morgan Tsvangiri, the opposition leader,
says he is worried Mugabe's Zanu PF party
wants to rig the elections.
'Zimbabweans denied voting rights
for 37 years'
"People went out there to fight for one
person, one vote to empower
Zimbabweans," he said. "Over the last 37
years [Zanu PF has] denied Zimbabweans
the right to vote. They have put all efforts
at preventing Zimbabweans from voting."
According to the constitution adopted in
2013, Mugabe is allowed to run for a final
five-year term next year. He has been in
power since independence in 1980.
Mugabe denies allegations of vote rigging.
Tsvangiri's plans to stage a fourth attempt
to try and remove Mugabe from power
next year, but some analysts say his party
needs a new strategy.
"The MDC has not been able to fully utilise
the capital they have, popular support and
the critical numbers of masses following
them," Earnest Mudzengi, director of the
Media Centre, a training organisation for
journalists, told Al Jazeera.
Mugabe is currently in Singapore for
medical treatment.
Zimbabwe opposition campaigns for youth vote ahead of election
Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies
Africa Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe
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