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Zim election 'not a solution'
25/06/2008 13:45 - (SA)
Sydney - President Robert Mugabe has
"declared war" not an election in Zimbabwe, said opposition
leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday from inside the Dutch
embassy in the capital Harare.
"It is not an election, that is what we keep on saying,"
Tsvangirai, who has withdrawn from Friday's presidential
run-off and sought diplomatic protection, told Australia's
Dateline television news programme.
"This is not an election, it is war. Mugabe has declared
war and we don't want to be part of it," Tsvangirai told the
Special Broadcasting Service programme via telephone.
Armed police cordoned off and raided a regional office of
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change in the east of the
country on Wednesday, a party spokesperson said.
Tsvangirai has urged the United Nations to isolate Mugabe
and called for a peacekeeping force in Zimbabwe, where Mugabe
supporters have carried out violent attacks on political
opponents.
Tsvangirai said on Sunday he was withdrawing from the
presidential run-off race against Mugabe because his supporters
would risk their lives by voting.
The opposition leader won a first round in March but did
not get the absolute majority needed to avoid a run-off.
Mugabe, who has held power for 28 years, has refused to
call off the vote, shrugging off mounting international
pressure including an unprecedented UN Security Council
condemnation of violence. It said a free run-off election was
impossible.
'I've been arrested, I've been harassed'
Southern African leaders will hold an emergency meeting on
Wednesday to discuss Zimbabwe's crisis.
Tsvangirai told Dateline that it was impossible to
contest the election as his party could not safely man polling
booths in three quarters of the country.
"The army, the militia, the war veterans have made it
almost inaccessible to go anywhere in the country," he said.
Tsvangirai said he sought diplomatic protection because of
the constant threats against him, despite Mugabe's assurances
that he was safe.
"This is no joke, over the last three or so weeks I've been
arrested, I've been harassed, I've been totally treated like a
criminal, when I'm the leading contender in this election," he
said.
The opposition leader said he hoped mediation and
negotiations could take place between all parties and that he
would possibly consider a government of national unity.
"You see an election is not a solution. Only a negotiated
position would actually see this country come out of this
crisis," said Tsvangirai.
"If it (a government of national unity) is on the cards we
will look at it, we will look at the merits," he said.
"So whether Robert Mugabe is there or not, we are open to
any negotiation but it has not been put to us. We will see what
role he can play, but I think that one of the fundamental
issues is that the March election result must be respected."
- Reuters
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Zimbabwe Special Report
