Zimbabwe prime minister's party dismisses poll
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The Zimbabwe prime minister's party says a new opinion poll reflecting a surge in support for President Robert Mugabe's party was skewed by a "margin of terror" that saw nearly half those questioned refusing to disclose their political loyalties.
Douglas Mwonzora, spokesman for Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party, said Thursday that U.S.-based Freedom House poll is "unreliable" in a climate where voters face intimidation by Mugabe militants and loyalists dominating the police and military.
In a 54-page report, Freedom House said support for Mugabe's ZANU-PF party rose to 31 percent from 17 percent in the past 18 months but dropped for Tsvangirai's party from 38 percent to 20 percent.
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It said 1,198 Zimbabweans were polled with a plus or minus 2.8 percent margin of error.