THE leader of Zimbabwe's main opposition group said yesterday that he would take part in a run-off against Robert Mugabe after the disputed elections on March 29, in the hope of unseating the veteran president.
The leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, who left Zimbabwe shortly after the elections and has been engaging in regional shuttle diplomacy to garner support, said he would return home within two days to prepare for the el
ection run-off.
But Tsvangirai said he would participate in the run-off only if international observers and media had full access to ensure the poll was free and fair.
The opposition has accused Mugabe and his ruling Zanu-PF party of trying to intimidate voters and rig the ballot.
Official results show that Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the presidential poll – but not by enough votes to secure an absolute majority and avoid a run-off.
In a parallel parliamentary vote, the ruling Zanu-PF lost its majority to the opposition for the first time since independence in 1980.
"The MDC will contest the run-off. I am ready, and the people are ready for the final round," Tsvangirai told a news conference in South Africa.
It was the first time the opposition leader had committed to participating in the run-off, which he says is not necessary because he believes he won the election outright.
"We want unfettered access of all international observers," he said, listing the conditions for his participation in the run-off."
Tsvangirai demanded full media access, both for local newspapers and international media.
Mugabe's government has barred most international observers from past polls, saying they are biased, support the opposition and undermine the electoral process by interfering.
It has allowed some regional states to monitor past elections and has also invited observers from Russia.
Tsvangirai said he would also be asking the regional South African Development Committee (SADC) to send peacekeepers to Zimbabwe to instil public confidence in the vote. He said that post-election turmoil and weeks of delays in confirming the winners of the March vote had discredited the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, and he called for the body to be reconstituted.
"The election should take place no later than May 24," he said.
The MDC, human rights groups and Western nations have accused Zanu-PF of launching a campaign of violence to ensure Mugabe wins a run-off.
Zanu-PF denies the charge and accuses the MDC of carrying out political attacks.
Last month, the Zimbabwean government accused Tsvangirai of treason and of working with former colonial power Britain to topple Mugabe in the elections.
Zimbabweans had hoped the election would usher in a period of prosperity and greater freedoms.
Instead, they have fallen victim to a struggle between their veteran president and Tsvangirai, who has raised questions about his leadership by touring African states seeking support from leaders instead of taking on Mugabe at home.
Critics blame an economic collapse in Zimbabwe on Mugabe's policies, including the seizure of white-owned farms to give to landless black people.
Mugabe, 84, says sanctions imposed by his Western critics have ruined the country.
On Thursday, a trade union official said that 40,000 farm-workers and their families had fled their homes because of violent attacks.
The MDC says at least 25 of its supporters have been killed since the first round of elections, and hundreds have been forced from their homes in rural areas.
But police and officials from Zanu-PF have accused the MDC of staging attacks and exaggerating the scale of the violence.
The full article contains 608 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
