Mbeki urges Mugabe to call off election

Mbeki urges Mugabe to call off election

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By Dumisani Muleya

SOUTH African President Thabo Mbeki met Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Bulawayo last night in an attempt to persuade him to cancel next Friday’s presidential election runoff and start talks to negotiate a solution to the country’s political stalemate.

Pre-election violence has left dozens dead and made conditions “impossible for a free and fair poll,” several organisations have warned.

Mbeki earlier met opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare to secure support for the cancellation of the runoff, which, it is understood, is supported by the Southern African Development Community and other leaders in Africa and abroad.

Sources said Mbeki tried to secure the first-ever meeting between Mugabe and Tsvangirai to resolve the deadlock through talks, but he did not get a clear commitment from Mugabe. Tsvangirai agreed to meet Mugabe to discuss a resolution of the crisis. Mbeki and former Nigerian p resident Olusegun Obasanjo tried but failed five years ago to get the two to meet.

It is understood that Mbeki is encouraging Mugabe and Tsvangirai to form a government of national unity.

Wednesday’s meetings marked an escalation in Mbeki’s mediation efforts. Negotiations have been gathering momentum over the past few weeks when representatives of Zanu PF and the MDC held meetings in Pretoria to find a settlement to the deadlock, which has worsened since the March 29 elections.

Mugabe and his party lost the polls, although Tsvangirai did not get the majority to form a government.

Sources close to Wednesday’s meetings said Mbeki told Mugabe it would be better for Zimbabwe to abandon the runoff because it would not resolve the country’s political and economic crisis.

Tsvangirai’s spokesman, George Sibotshiwe, confirmed Mbeki had met Tsvangirai. “I can confirm the meeting, I can’t give details,” he said.

Sources said that Tsvangirai complained to Mbeki that the runoff would be a farce because he was being prevented from campaigning, and raised concerns about political violence and killings.

At least 66 people, mostly MDC supporters, have been killed since the March polls.

Tsvangirai has blamed the state security forces for the political murders.

“Tsvangirai said the runoff would be a sham because he has not been allowed to campaign, his party officials and supporters are being arrested, harassed and killed, ” one source said.

“He also said his party was being treated like a banned organisation, while he himself was treated like a criminal.”

Tsvangirai also raised the issue of the arrest and charging with treason of MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti, his party’s chief negotiator in talks with Zanu PF.

Mbeki is understood to have told Mugabe that even if he wins the runoff his victory would be disputed by Tsvangirai and many world leaders, including several African presidents, because of the current wave of political violence. Mbeki apparently urged Mugabe to pursue talks.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced “profound alarm" on Wednesday, saying violence, intimidation and arrests of opposition leaders could not lead to credible elections. - Business Day

(Additional reporting Reuters)
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