Tsvangirai pulls out of 'sham' Zimbabwe election
Pastor Dale Morgan
Tsvangirai pulls out of 'sham' Zimbabwe election*
• MDC claims militants beat its supporters at rally
• South Africa calls for Mugabe and Tsvangirai to meet
• US calls for government 'thugs' to cease violence
* Lee Glendinning, Aidan Jones and agencies
* guardian.co.uk,
* Sunday June 22, 2008
Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has pulled out of the
presidential run-off against Robert Mugabe saying he will no longer
participate in "this violent, illegitimate sham of an election process".
Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), announced
his decision at a news conference in Zimbabwe's capital as ruling party
militants blockaded the site of an opposition rally.
Citing political violence, he said a free and fair poll on Friday would
be impossible and called on the United Nations and the African Union to
intervene to stop "genocide" in the former British colony.
Tonight South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki said he would encourage
Mugabe and Tsvangirai to meet to discuss Zimbabwe's political crisis.
"From our point of view it is still necessary that the political
leadership of Zimbabwe should get together and find a solution to the
challenges that face Zimbabwe," Mbeki told South African public
broadcaster SABC.
"I would hope that that leadership would be open to a process which
would result in them coming to some agreement about what happens to
their country. And that most certainly is what we would try to encourage"
Earlier Tsvangirai told reporters in Harare: "We in the MDC have
resolved that we will no longer participate in this violent,
illegitimate sham of an election process.
"Conditions as of today do not permit the holding of a credible poll.
"Given the totality of these circumstances, we believe a credible
election is impossible. We can't ask the people to cast their vote on
June 27 when that vote will cost their lives. We will no longer
participate in this violent sham of an election.
"On June 27, Mugabe has declared war, and we will not be part of that
war. Our victory is certain, but it can only be delayed."
Tsvangirai said that by Wednesday he would release new proposals on how
to take the country forward but did not provide any details about what
his plans would include.
His decision follows a campaign of brutality in which independent human
rights groups estimate 85 people have died and thousands have been
evacuated from their homes.
The opposition leader himself has been detained by police five times
while campaigning and he says at least 70 MDC members have been murdered.
Patrick Chinamasa, justice minister for Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party,
dismissed Tsvangirai's reasons for a withdrawal from the poll, claiming
the widespread violence is being stoked by the MDC and its international
supporters.
"It's not true that it's due to political violence because it is his
party that has been instigating violence. The situation on the ground is
now very supportive of us and Tsvangirai knows he faces certain defeat,"
he said in an interview with Reuters.
Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in an earlier March 29 poll, but his failure to
win an absolute majority triggered a run-off vote.
He had planned an afternoon address to the rally today as his main
campaign event before the run-off on Friday.
But, according to the MDC, militants disrupted the rally, beating
opposition supporters who were trying to reach it.
The MDC said in a statement that youth militia loyal to Mugabe had
attacked the rally, beating journalists and forcing election observers
to flee.
"Thousands of Zanu-PF youth militia, armed with iron bars, sticks and
other weapons, have attacked journalists and forced election observer
teams to flee from the venue of the MDC scheduled rally. Police are
firing teargas," it said.
In a statement yesterday Tsvangirai had urged his supporters not to be
intimidated and to go out and vote on Friday.
Responding to Tsvangirai's withdrawal announcement, the US called for
the Zimbabwe government and "its thugs" to stop violence.
"The government of Zimbabwe and its thugs must stop the violence now,"
said Carlton Carroll, a White House assistant press secretary.
"All parties should be able to participate in a legitimate election and
not be subject to the intimidation and unlawful actions of the
government, armed militias and so-called war veterans," he added.
Analysts questioned Tsvangirai's decision to pull out, suggesting it
could give succour to Mugabe at a time when international pressure was
mounting.
Tom Cargill, Africa expert for foreign affairs thinktank Chatham House,
told Reuters: "It means Robert Mugabe is the legitimate president of
Zimbabwe as far as the legal position is concerned. It will make it
harder for regional leaders to press him because he can claim his
position is on the basis of the constitution.
"They [the MDC] have been weakened by this. They've made some very bad
strategic decisions in the past and their credibility is under question
in the region."