Zimbabwe opposition leader challenges recount legality News
Zimbabwe opposition leader challenges recount legality

[JURIST] Zimbabwe opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) [party website] leader Morgan Tsvangirai [BBC profile] has condemned as "illegal" a process of recounting votes in 23 constituencies that began Saturday after a judge dismissed an opposition appeal [JURIST report]. The MDC won 109 seats in the country's 210-seat assembly in the original count. Tsvangirai told Al Jazeera television that "as far as we are concerned, we have won the election, the people of Zimbabwe have spoken and their vote must be respected." Tsvangirai also referenced a shipment of weapons that was turned away to support his allegations the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) [party website] was preparing for a 'war' against the people. Al Jazeera has more.

On Thursday, Mugabe and the ZANU-PF accused [JURIST report] Tsvangirai of treason, saying he was conspiring with Britain to overthrow Mugabe. Zimbabwean police arrested at least 30 MDC members [JURIST report] this week after the party called for a strike to protest the nondisclosure of the presidential election results. The police said that the MDC supporters were arrested for blocking roads and traffic and attempting to intimidate people from going to work after police announced a ban on all political rallies [JURIST report].

THIS DAY @ LAW

Line of Demarcation divides the New World between Spain and Portugal

On May 4, 1493, Pope Alexander VI promulgated the Line of Demarcation, dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal in response the return of Christopher Columbus from his discovery of the American continents. However, neither country was entirely satisfied with the placement of the Line. A year later on June 7, 1494, the two nations signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, which moved the Line of Demarcation further west, giving Portugal claim to Brazil.

Kent State student shootings precipitated lawsuits

On May 4, 1970, National Guardsmen at Kent State University opened fire on students protesting the US invasion of Cambodia, killing four.

Review a legal chronology of the Kent State shootings, from May 5, 1970 (the day the FBI investigation started) to January 4, 1979 (the day the state of Ohio reached an out-of-court settlement for $675,000 with victims and relatives of victims).