THE LEADER of Zimbabwe’s opposition Morgan Tsvangirai is due to attend a political conference in Belfast today.
Mr Tsvangirai will then return to Zimbabwe for a run-off against President Robert Mugabe in his country’s presidential elections.
Liberal International, a federation of more than 60 liberal political parties, including the Alliance Party in the North, said yesterday that it had secured Mr Tsvangirai’s attendance at the conference.
Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade will also address delegates.
A spokesman for Mr Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said on Wednesday that Mr Tsvangirai would return to Zimbabwe this weekend for an election rally against Mr Mugabe in Zimbabwe’s second city of Bulawayo.
However, Liberal International spokesman James Patava said that the MDC leader had agreed to first travel to Belfast for the organisation’s 55th congress, and that he would be arriving in the city this morning.
A spokesman for Mr Tsvangirai was unavailable for comment last night to confirm his travel arrangements.
Mr Tsvangirai, who says the MDC won the first round of voting in Zimbabwe on March 29th, has been living outside of his home country since April 8th, basing himself in South Africa.
Mr Mugabe has barred international observers from a planned run-off ballot in Zimbabwe on July 31st.
Alliance Party leader David Ford said: “It is a tremendous privilege to welcome Morgan Tsvangirai to our congress and to Northern Ireland. This is an immensely important visit and is indicative of these changing times in our society.
“Morgan Tsvangirai is a beacon of hope for the whole world. We offer him our full support and hope that he is allowed to take up his rightful position as president of Zimbabwe as soon as possible.”