• SEARCH SOMALINET.COM
• SEARCH DIRECTORY

Enter your search terms Submit search form   Web www.somalinet.com

Search:
FULL DIRECTORY SEARCH

SomaliNet  News    English  Africa

Zimbabwe: Push for Zimbabwe coalition, African leaders told -think-tank Wed. May 21, 2008 05:00 am.- By Bonny Apunyu. - (SomaliNet) A Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) said on Wednesday that African leaders should push for the formation of an opposition-led transitional coalition in Zimbabwe as violence will prevent any run-off poll from being fair. Zimbabwe’s run-off election scheduled for June 27 will not be held on a level playing field and is merely a ploy by veteran President Robert Mugabe to stay in power, the International think tank said in a new report. "African leaders, with support from the wider international community, must step in to stop the violence and resolve the deepening political crisis, ideally by facilitating an agreement establishing an MDC-led transitional government that avoids the need for the run-off," said the report. Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who beat Mugabe in the first round on March 29 but fell just short of an outright majority, had earned the right to head a coalition government, the report said. "The March election results, coupled with Mugabe's resort to deadly violence in its wake, have given answers to two questions: Tsvangirai should be head of government, and Mugabe cannot be trusted with a further official role. "The current levels of violence and intimidation preclude the possibility of holding a credible run-off," the report added. "The holding of a run-off by the Mugabe camp is a ploy to stay in power and it is highly unlikely that Mugabe would accept the conditions for a free and fair run-off in which he would be humiliatingly defeated." Tsvangirai's party says that more than 40 of its supporters have been killed by pro-Mugabe militias since the election while the UN has warned levels of violence are in danger of reaching crisis levels. The ICG said that South African President Thabo Mbeki, the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) chief negotiator on Zimbabwe, had "undermined his credibility" by refusing to publicly criticise Mugabe. "Pretoria's mediation must consequently be broadened to include other African actors considered more credible and even-handed" such as Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete who is also the current chairperson of the African Union. The report said that while there would be no room for Mugabe in any coalition, there could be a place at the cabinet table for his Zanu-PF party, provided it was prepared to accept the role of junior partner. "With strong African-led mediation, concerted wider international backing and political will from both the MDC and moderate elements of Zanu-PF, a solution can be found to the crisis, but this will involve difficult political compromise," it said. - Sapa-AFP News Category: Africa Latest Headlines Latest News India: Army officer, seven guerrillas killed in fierc... Philippines: President Arroyo applauds airforce, pled... UK: Over 500 held for sex trafficking in six-month cr... Russia: Two killed, 30 others injured as blast hits a... Zimbabwe: US presses fellow UN council members to im... Somalia: Somali legislative body probes troop's act... Somalia: Swedish, Danish Kidnappee freed, flown to ... Afghanistan: No deaths, injures as US helicopter shot... China: Coal shaft collapses in northwest China killin... Somalia: Residents say 39 killed in Mogadishu fight... More News...