Withdrawing not the answer - MDC
2008-06-20 14:04
Special Report
A classical music presenter for the BBC has been arrested and is in custody in Zimbabwe.
Harare - Zimbabwe's opposition vowed on Friday to press ahead with its campaign for next week's presidential run-off despite mounting violence, saying "withdrawing will not solve anything".
"The people have been subjected to violence and intimidation which are so blatant and they are disappointed that we are not having access to the electorate," Innocent Gonese, the party's secretary for legal affairs, told AFP.
"People are saying despite all that we should not withdraw and we also believe withdrawing will not solve anything."
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Friday issued a message to supporters, urging them to vote to end President Robert Mugabe's "evil" regime.
"If we fall into despair or disarray, my friends, the regime will have succeeded in its evil machinations to divide and discourage us," he said in the message.
Tsvangirai is only participating in the June 27 run-off under protest since he claims he won an outright majority in the March 29 first-round vote.
Official results showed he beat Mugabe, but with a vote total just short of the 50% threshold.
The comments from Tsvangirai and Gonese came as a spokesperson for their party reportedly questioned why the Movement for Democratic Change should contest the run-off when Mugabe has signalled he will not give up power if he loses.
Referring to recent comments from Mugabe that he was prepared to fight to keep the opposition from coming to power, MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa told South African newspaper The Star: "What therefore is the point of this election?"
"Why should we participate in it? Many of our members are now wondering and want us to pull out."
The MDC claims some 70 of its supporters have been killed in a campaign of intimidation following the first round of the election.
- AFP