Zambia denies senior Zimbabwe opposition politician asylum

HARARE, AUG. 9 — Zambian foreign minister Joseph Malanji said Zambian police has denied senior Zimbabwe opposition leader Tendai Biti asylum.
Malanji was quoted by the state-run Herald newspaper Thursday as saying that Biti’s grounds for asylum were not meritorious.

Biti, who was being sought by Zimbabwean police on allegations of inciting public violence last week which killed six people, had fled to the neighboring country to seek political asylum.
He, however, was briefly detained at the Zimbabwe-Zambia Chirundu border before he was later released and proceeded to Lusaka to formally apply for the asylum.

“He came here trying to seek asylum, but the grounds on which he wanted to apply for asylum did not meet the requirements as required by the law,” Malanji was quoted as saying.
Biti fled to Zambia a day after a Zimbabwean court released on bail 27 suspects that were arrested last week in connection with the post-election violence.

The opposition MDC Alliance, which is alleging a state-sponsored crackdown on its officials and supporters following the violence, has rejected the results of the July 30 polls won by incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa and has vowed to challenge the results in court.
The opposition party has up to Friday this week to file the election challenge. – XINHUA