March 21, 2002	Thursday	Muharram 6, 1423

HARARE: Zimbabwe’s suspension from the Commonwealth and the mounting foreign pressure on President Robert Mugabe’s government could split his ruling party and embolden his rivals, political analysts said on Wednesday.

But some said the Commonwealth’s decision to punish him for stealing victory in last week’s presidential election could harden his attitude towards his challenger’s opposition party.

Apparently bearing out this view, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said its leader, the defeated presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, had been called to court on Wednesday to be formally indicted on a treason charge.

Tsvangirai was named ahead of last week’s election in a treason probe linked to a secretly filmed video purporting to show him discussing Mugabe’s assassination.

He has denied the charge and Wednesday’s move dashed hopes that it would dropped following Mugabe’s victory.

The move on Tuesday to suspend Zimbabwe from the 54-member Commonwealth was seen to be largely symbolic — it includes no penalty for the nation’s hard-pressed people.

But the fallout from the decision could be devastating for Mugabe as more countries follow the Commonwealth lead and impose targeted personal sanctions against him and his inner circle.—Reuters