The government will not allow the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) access to the public media ahead of the parliamentary elections slated for March 2005. The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Patrick Chinamasa told Parliament during the 13 October question and answer session that the government was not so "stupid" as to allow the MDC access to the state-controlled media. He said doing so would enable the opposition party to disseminate British and American propaganda to "effect an illegal regime change against a popularly-elected government."