|
Mugabe to boycott crisis talks
11/04/2008 17:42 - (SA)
Harare - President Robert Mugabe will boycott a southern African summit on the Zimbabwe crisis, state radio said on Friday.
Mugabe signalled a further clampdown in the country with a ban on all political rallies. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on the 84-year-old president to stand down.
Heads of state of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) had been called to a summit in Zambia on Saturday in a bid to break the post-election deadlock between Mugabe's ruling party and the opposition.
The ruling Zanu-PF had indicated that Mugabe would attend the summit - called earlier in the week by Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa - but on Friday appeared to be rowing back from that position.
"We received the communique from SADC and another one from Mr Mwanawasa. It's a very general request and we are still considering it," deputy information minister Bright Matonga said earlier.
MDC confirms attendence
He said: "The summit was called without consultation with the Zimbabwean government. But one way or another Zimbabwe will be represented, but at what level, that is still to be decided."
Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change has already confirmed the attendance in Lusaka of its leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who is claiming outright victory in the March 29 presidential election.
Zanu-PF, which had endorsed Mugabe to run in a second-round presidential election even though the result of the first ballot was yet to be announced, had on Thursday indicated he would attend.
"If there is a SADC meeting confirmed by Zambia, President Mugabe will definitely be there.
"There is nothing unusual about his attendance. SADC has obviously come under a lot of international pressure over the Zimbabwe elections and needs to be briefed about what is happening here," Matonga said.
The opposition on Thursday ruled out Tsvangirai's participation in any second-round vote, accusing Mugabe and his regime of having launched a campaign of intimidation that would effect the true democratic result.
|
News
