MDC wants an emergency summit
2008-05-15 18:38
Special Report
A classical music presenter for the BBC has been arrested and is in custody in Zimbabwe.
Johannesburg - Zimbabwe's opposition urged southern African leaders on Thursday to pressure President Robert Mugabe to hold a run-off poll next week after authorities in Harare announced plans for a lengthy delay.
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Secretary-General Tendai Biti said the heads of state who make up the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) should call an emergency summit and tell Mugabe and his Zanu-PF that the hold-up to the election would not be tolerated.
"The delay of the run-off is a clear indication that they want to hold onto power. This justifies the urgent need for an urgent SADC summit," Biti said during a news conference in South Africa where the MDC leadership is currently located.
"We insist the election will be held on May 23. We hope that SADC will stand up in front of the summit, and speak in the face of the dictator. That summit must deal with the illegality of the run-off."
Biti's comments come after the publication of a government gazette in which the electoral commission said it now planned to hold the run-off within 90 days of the publication of results rather than 21 days as stipulated by law.
SADC has been under growing pressure
With the results having been announced on May 2, the move means the run-off between Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai could take place as late as July 31 rather than by next Friday.
SADC held an extraordinary summit in the Zambian capital Lusaka last month to discuss the post-election situation in Zimbabwe although Mugabe himself boycotted the get-together.
That meeting ended with a call for the results, which were only finally released nearly five weeks after polling, to be produced "expeditiously" and did not make any criticism of Mugabe.
SADC has been under growing pressure to take harder line towards Mugabe with its chief mediator, SA President Thabo Mbeki, coming in for particular criticism over his softly-softly approach.
- AFP