Zimbabwe police free Tsvangirai

A long, drawn-out process in Zimbabwe: elections that Mugabe seems to have lost, but which he will not allow himself to lose.

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, has been freed after being detained for more than eight hours by the police. Tsvangirai said that he was released without charge late on Wednesday. “It is nothing but the usual harassment which is totally unnecessary," Tsvangirai said. "We have seen worse things than this." He was detained by police earlier during the day with several of his supporters while campaigning in the presidential run-off vote.

And he has: there have been pictures of him after beatings. Takes a lot of courage.

Speaking earlier from the police station in southwestern Zimbabwe where the group were being held, Job Sibanda, a party lawyer, said Tsvangirai had been accused of rallying supporters. "They are accusing him of addressing a rally at St Paul's [near Lupane] without authorisation," Sibanda said.

Continuous harassment.

Looking ahead to a post-election transition, Tsvangirai said his government will reform the civil service, judiciary and security forces, but he pledged not to purge pro-Mugabe officials.

Kofi Annan made a point of saying that even after winning the MDC would need to work with Mugabe. So Tsvangirai has listened, and, perhaps, learned from the deblace in Iraq.