Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai rejected calls on Tuesday for a national unity government instead of a presidential run-off vote and said his party was sure to win the election despite government violence.
Tsvangirai told a news conference Zimbabwe had suffered a de facto coup and was being run by a military junta.
About 66 supporters of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had been killed since disputed March elections, he said.
Simba Makoni, a defector from the ruling Zanu-PF party and a former finance minister, said earlier the June 27 run-off between President Robert Mugabe and Tsvangirai must be called off because a free and fair vote was impossible.
”Following the announcement of the date for the run-off, no one can change that due process unless Robert Mugabe concedes defeat, or collapses. It therefore means that a government of national unity negotiated before the run-off does not arise,” Tsvangirai said.
United States-based Human Rights Watch also said brutal intimidation and murder by Mugabe’s supporters made normal campaigning impossible.
”As a people we have been exposed to state-sponsored brutality. The violence continues unabated,” Tsvangirai said.
He said 3 000 MDC supporters had been injured and more than 25 000 displaced but the MDC would win even if Zanu-PF prevented them campaigning.
”As far as I am concerned I can stay home from now on until the election, Mugabe will lose. It’s just a formality to go and campaign, the people have already decided.”
An European Union-United States summit in Slovenia on Tuesday called on the Zimbabwe government to end what it called state-sponsored violence and urged United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to send monitors to deter further violence.
Makoni, who challenged Mugabe in disputed March 29 elections, told reporters in Johannesburg that Tsvangirai must negotiate a five-year transitional government.
”Normal political conduct and behaviour is not possible in the circumstances within Zimbabwe at the moment. I don’t believe we can have free elections under these circumstances, that’s why we are suggesting that the run-off will not place,” he said.
Makoni came a distant third in the March election in which Tsvangirai beat Mugabe but failed to reach the absolute majority needed to avoid a second round.
Crisis talks
Business Day reported on Tuesday that Zanu-PF and MDC were in talks that could lead to the cancellation of the poll.
Lovemore Madhuku, chairperson of Zimbabwean political pressure group National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), said a government of national unity was unlikely in the short term.
”I know that a lot of people are talking about that, but I don’t see that happening in the coming months because of the polarisation between Zanu-PF and the MDC,” he said. Human Rights Watch said on Monday a free and fair poll was impossible because of a systematic campaign of murder and torture unleashed by Zanu-PF in which at least 36 people had died. Mugabe blames his foes for the bloodshed.
Jacob Zuma, president of the African National Congress, said during a tour of India on Tuesday that he was alarmed and anxious about the reports of violence and called on Zanu-PF to ensure free campaigning.
Business Day, quoting negotiators for both sides, said Zanu-PF and the MDC were in talks mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki.
Makoni said he was involved in consultations between the two sides but they could not be described as negotiations. He called for this process to be accelerated. Mbeki’s spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga said he was unaware of the talks.
Zim not on Security Council agenda
Meanwhile, the South African Department of Foreign Affairs said it would be difficult for the UN Security Council to hold discussions on the political situation in Zimbabwe
South Africa reportedly blocked, with Russia, a wider briefing to the Security Council by the United Nations secretariat on the Zimbabwean issue, including on the political situation in the country.
The UN Security Council would instead be briefed on Thursday only on the humanitarian situation.
”So far the only type of discussion that has taken place in the Security Council on Zimbabwe had been on the humanitarian situation, and this [is] obviously because Zimbabwe is not on the agenda of the Security Council, therefore the Security Council would, I think, find it a difficult to hold broader discussions on the political situation,” said Xolisa Mabhongo, departmental chief director for UN issues, on Tuesday.
”There are other avenues where the issue of Zimbabwe is being addressed,” Mabhongo said.
This included the Southern African Development Community initiative headed by Mbeki.
”Zimbabwe does not pose, in our view, at the moment, a threat to international peace and security which is the mandate of the Security Council,” Mabhongo said. – Reuters, Sapa