MDC to make announcement
2008-05-10 10:05
Harare - Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was to announce on Saturday whether he would contest a run-off election in his violence-wracked country amid suggestions he has lost momentum against veteran Robert Mugabe.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won control of parliament in March 29 polls and Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in first-round presidential elections, but the aftermath has been marked by violence.
Tsvangirai has refused to say whether he will take part - even though failure to do so would hand a victory to Mugabe - and has accused the government of organising a campaign of terror against his supporters.
Doctors, trade unions and teachers have described beatings and intimidation by government-backed militias and the authorities have been rounding up an increasing number of high-profile opponents.
The MDC has said 30 of its supporters have been killed since election day and thousands more tortured or injured, but those figures have been strongly disputed by the Zimbabwean government.
Aides to Tsvangirai said he would make a "definitive statement" from Pretoria, South Africa, on whether he will take part in a run-off against Mugabe.
A press conference is scheduled for 08:00 GMT.
The date of the run-off remains shrouded in mystery. Initially expected within three weeks of the first-round results being announced on May 2, officials have since suggested a delay of up to a year.
Tsvangirai has been out of Zimbabwe in an effort to increase pressure on the 84-year-old Mugabe to step down, but he has begun to face criticism for leaving his supporters to face the violence.
In an editorial entitled "Morgan, Come Home" the privately-owned Zimbabwe Independent said this week that Tsvangirai should be more visible locally.
"The MDC arguably won the March election but it behaves as if it lost," the weekly said.
"Tsvangirai needs to return home. He is needed here. His supporters are taking a beating from the thugs who have been unleashed across the country.
On Friday, South African President Thabo Mbeki, the region's chief mediator on Zimbabwe, held intensive talks with Mugabe in Harare over the post-election crisis.
Tsvangirai has called for Mbeki to be axed as a mediator over his softly-softly approach towards Mugabe while the United States, Britain and other Western powers have called for an end to violence and for free elections to take place.
- AFP