The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Harare

The Zimbabwean opposition's number two faced a treason charge following his arrest minutes after arriving back in the country on Thursday to campaign for a June 27 presidential run-off election.

Police also detained opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai twice in the same day in central Zimbabwe, holding him for some two hours the first time and about four hours the next along with around 20 people in his entourage.

He was released without charge in both instances.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) secretary-general, Tendai Biti, could face the death penalty if convicted of the treason charge which centres around claims he plotted to rig his party's victory in the first round of the election in March.

He was arrested even before he reached passport control at Harare airport.

Tsvangirai is trying to topple veteran President Robert Mugabe in a second round vote in just over two weeks' time, after officially falling short of an overall majority in the first round of voting on March 29.

National police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said Biti would be charged for allegedly authoring a document which is said to have contained details of a plot to fix the election outcome.

Although Bvudzijena refused to give further details, state television reported in April that authorities had a secret document written by Biti which it claimed showed how teachers employed by the electoral commission had agreed to overstate the MDC's vote in return for payment.

Bvudzijena said Biti would also face a separate charge of "communicating and publishing false information prejudicial to the state" after he proclaimed victory for the party in the March 29 polls ahead of the official results.

Speaking shortly before he left Johannesburg for Harare, Biti said he was aware he faced the prospect of arrest.