The Ugandan government has rejected a motion by some legislators that sought to condemn acts of violence by the Zimbabwean president against his country's opposition leader.

The motion followed the March 11 arrest and reported beating of Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, that has staged stiff challenge to Robert Mugabe's government for over a decade.

The motion tabled by Aruu MP Odonga Otto and seconded by Kampala Central MP Erias Lukwago on Thursday had sought to implore Mugabe to "exercise restraint and use democratically acceptable means to solve political differences.

Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi criticized the motion saying it violated the principles of natural justice in that it condemned Mugabe while the accusations based on media reports were not verified.

Nsibambi said while the government was concerned about what was going on in Zimbabwe it opposed the motion on procedural grounds.

Former deputy attorney general and minister for general duties in the Prime Minister's Office Adolf Mwesigye said the motion offended the law on diplomatic relations and Cabinet had not taken a decision on it.

"Zimbabwe is a sovereign state. It would be procedurally wrong for the Parliament of Uganda, another sovereign state to begin condemning it," Mwesige was quoted by Daily Monitor as saying on Friday.

The First Lady Janet Museveni believed that "this is a populist approach on a sister country. I don't believe it will help Zimbabwe."

Source: Xinhua