Mugabe rival charged with treason

Mr Tsvangirai describes the move as 'harassment'

Zimbabwe's main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has been formally charged with treason in a court in the capital, Harare.

Mr Tsvangirai denies plotting to kill President Robert Mugabe, who defeated him in a presidential election 10 days ago that was marked by allegations of vote rigging and intimidation.

This particular appearance is just continued harassment of Mr Tvangirai and senior members of his party

Lawyer Eric Matinenga

There has been no official comment by the Zimbabwean authorities.

The shadow lands and agriculture minister for Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Renson Gasela, was also charged with treason.

The court is currently considering a bail application for the two men.

Earlier, Australian Prime Minister John Howard - one of the Commonwealth leaders who announced Zimbabwe's suspension on Tuesday - said any notion of prosecution of the opposition leader was damaging to the process of reconciliation in the country.

And Mr Tsvangirai's lawyer, Eric Matinenga, described the court appearance as "continued harassment" and "a knee-jerk reaction to the events that unfolded yesterday in London".

Mr Tsvangirai's summons came after another Commonwealth leader, Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo, told the BBC that the governing and opposition parties in Zimbabwe had agreed to discuss a plan put forward by the Commonwealth to resolve the political crisis.

Mr Obasanjo said this envisaged setting up a coalition government to promote reconciliation, with a new election to be held at an unspecified future date.

Secret video

The treason charge against Mr Tsvangirai carries a possible death penalty.

Mr Tsvangirai's deputy, Welshman Ncube, was formally charged with the same offence and granted bail the day before the election, which Mr Mugabe officially won with 56% of the vote.

If it was a strike for more money, people would have heeded it

Trader Henry Virima

The MDC leader says the charges, based on a videotape which purports to show him discussing the assassination of Mr Mugabe with a political consultant, were fabricated to try to remove him from the political scene.

The allegations against Mr Tsvangirai were made by a Canadian political consultancy, Dickens and Madson, headed by former Israeli intelligence officer and Mugabe lobbyist Ari Ben-Menashe.

But there have been suggestions the videotape was heavily edited.

	Commonwealth observers' findings High level of politically motivated violence and intimidation Zanu-PF's paramilitary youth group largely responsible for intimidation Restrictions on independent local observers Lack of transparency in the registration process Polling stations reduced in urban areas Many unable to vote in Harare and Chitungwiza because process was too slow Limitations on freedom of speech and movement hampered opposition campaign  Click here for observers' findings

Last year, charges of treason against Mr Tsvangirai were dropped after a court ruled them unconstitutional.

Wednesday saw a lukewarm response to a call by Zimbabwe trade unions for a three-day general strike - the first public test of opposition support since the election.

Police have declared the action illegal.

It has been launched in protest at what the unions say is harassment of pro-opposition workers since Mr Mugabe won a fifth term of office.

Reports from the capital said some areas were quiet on Wednesday morning, while in others it appeared to be business as usual.

A number of factories and shops closed, but most government offices, post offices and schools remained open, correspondents said.