(TALKZIMBABWE) Tsvangirai seeks refuge in embassy, ‘will contest runoff’

Tsvangirai seeks refuge in embassy, ‘will contest runoff’
Floyd Nkomo
Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:32:00 +0000

ZIMBABWE opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has sought overnight refuge at the Dutch embassy in Harare as unconfirmed news filtered in that he was backtracking on his earlier decision not to contest the run-off presidential election on Friday (June 27). Tsvangirai is still believed to be at the embassy in a move viewed by senior government officials as unnecessary and intended to attract attention from international media and the West.

“The man’s cry-baby tactics have now become ridiculous. Who is after Tsvangirai? Everyone is busy preparing for the run-off election and he is busy trying to convince his international backers that he is in some danger,” said a Zanu PF official.

“We knew this was a ploy to attract unnecessary attention.”

It was not clear how long Tsvangirai intended to remain in the embassy building or why he chose the Dutch Embassy, but critics say the Netherlands was a strong supporter of the MDC-T party.

Tsvangirai also seems to be backtracking on his earlier announcement that he was withdrawal from the run-off election as predicted by government officials.

He seemed to suggest to South Africa’s Radio 702 that he was prepared to contest the election if violence stops.

“We are prepared to negotiate with Zanu PF but of course it is important that certain principles are accepted before the negotiations take place. One of the preconditions is that this violence against the people must be stopped.”

Tsvangirai announced that he was withdrawing from Friday’s runoff election citing several reasons.

The government of Zimbabwe said that he needed to put it in writing otherwise the whole electoral process will continue as scheduled.

Critics say Tsvangirai’s pull out discredits the electoral process and is proof that the elections will neither be free, nor fair.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said it was still looking forward to a credible electoral process on Friday.

"I don't believe that the level of violence in the country is such that a credible election is impossible. We don't have a war. We will be able to hold credible elections," ZEC chairman George Chiweshe told African election monitors in Harare.