Washington - The White House on Saturday urged provisions
for election and human rights monitors during a runoff vote in the
southern African country Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader
Morgan Tsvangirai ended over a week of suspense earlier Saturday when
he declared he would take part in a runoff presidential election
against 84-year-old President Robert Mugabe.
The country has been in a stalemate since the March 29 elections,
with violent attacks against opponents to Mugabe that have killed
several dozen.
Zimbabwe elections officials refused for weeks to release the
outcome, then finally confirmed that Tsvangirai took 47.9 per cent of
the vote to 43.2 per cent for 84-year-old Mugabe, who is seeking a
sixth term in power.
The MDC has insisted that the vote count was manipulated to force
the runoff. To gain office, a president needs more than 50 per cent
of the vote.
The US has condemned the attacks by Mugabe supporters and at one
point said Mugabe must 'call off his dogs.'
'We'd like to see election monitors come in, we'd like to see UN
human rights monitors come in and ensure we have a safe electoral
process in Zimbabwe,' White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in
Texas Saturday.
US President George W Bush was attending his daughter Jenna's
wedding at his ranch in Crawford.
Johndroe said that opposition leaders and supporters 'must be able
to freely campaign free of violence.'
NkomoMay 11th, 2008 - 06:24:27
America itself needed international monitors from Africa and elsewhere two American presidential elections ago. The very next election this year in the US, international monitors must observe the voting stations since their was fraude committed by the people of the current US president. So Americans look at your own ridiculous country. BOOO YA!
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