Zimbabwe 'wanted' list deepens crisis

HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Police in Zimbabwe said Friday they have put seven opposition members of parliament on a wanted list, a development that is likely to further dampen the possibility of talks between President Robert Mugabe and his rivals.

The seven lawmakers are wanted in connection with crimes ranging from inciting public violence to attempted murder, said police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena.

The African Union issued a resolution this week urging dialogue between Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change, to end violence that has plagued the country. The AU said it hopes dialogue may even lead to a national unity government.

An MDC spokesman said the arrests would hurt the chances of any dialogue.

"How can we go to the table when half the leadership is either on the run or in police custody?" said MDC Director of Information Luke Tamborinyoka.

The MDC has demanded the release of political prisoners as a precondition to talks with the ruling ZANU-PF party. Tsvangirai said this week that violence in Zimbabwe created conditions that are "not conducive" to negotiations.

"Their strategy is to vilify the MPs and to reverse our majority in parliament after convicting them using subverted judiciary," Tamborinyoka said of the government. "These are mainly MPs from rural areas where ZANU-PF has instilled fear in the electorate."

More than 200 Zimbabweans are still camped at the U.S. Embassy in Harare on Friday. Many of them are MDC supporters displaced in the violence that has swept the country around the recent presidential election and runoff between Mugabe and Tsvangirai.

The reports of violence drew international condemnation and were a major factor in Tsvangirai's decision to withdraw from the runoff, allowing Mugabe to claim reelection.

All About Zimbabwe • Robert Mugabe • Morgan Tsvangirai • Thabo Mbeki • African Union