MDC leader sets out conditions

2008-05-10 12:05

Pretoria - Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on Saturday for an end to violence and asked the Southern African Development Community to send peacekeepers to monitor an upcoming presidential run-off.

He detailed a series of conditions needed to ensure a fair election against veteran President Robert Mugabe, who lost the first round of disputed elections on March 29.

"We have given some conditions to SADC (Southern African Development Community) for the run-off," he said.

"One, total secession of all violence; number two, unfettered access by international observers; number three, the reconstitution of ZEC (Zimbabwe's electoral commission); number four, media access should be unfettered; number five SADC should provide peacekeeping to curtail violence."

Tsvangirai criticised the ZEC, which has played a central role in the country's elections.

Results from the first round were delayed by five weeks and no date has been given for the second-round run-off despite a legal requirement for it to take place within 21 days of the first-round results being announced.

"ZEC is partisan to Zanu-PF," Tsvangirai said, referring to Mugabe's party which has ruled the country since independence from Britain in 1980.

The SADC is a regional African body that has been traditionally reluctant to criticise Mugabe, but some of its members are losing patience with the 84-year-old.

- AFP