Pressure Builds On Tsvangirai to Accept Deal And Avoid

Meanwhile, late today, Zimbabwe police arrested the opposition MDC’s

secretary general as he flew in today ahead of the June 27 presidential

run-off vote and detained party leader Morgan Tsvangirai for the third

time this month. 

MDC officials said party secretary general Tendai Biti was detained as

he stepped off a plane at Harare airport.

Mr Biti, the party’s number three, left the country soon after disputed

March 29 elections to gather African support.

Police spokesman, Wayne Bvudzijena said Biti had been arrested over the

opposition’s early announcement of results from the elections.

“He was wanted in connection with the premature announcement of results

before the official announcement of results by the Zimbabwe Electoral

Commission,” he said.

Mr Chris Mhike, a lawyer acting for the MDC, said an urgent court

application would be made to force authorities to bring Mr Biti to court

as soon as possible.

Mr Tsvangirai was detained at a roadblock on his way to address a

campaign rally today, the party said.

He was detained by police twice last week and held for several hours on

both occasions.

Elsewhere, South African President Thabo Mbeki, who was mandated by the

Southern African Development Community (SADC) to mediate between Zanu PF

and MDC, has reportedly been pressing the opposition to agree to a

transitional government, because of rising violence.

And, former Zambian president, Dr Kenneth Kaunda has added to the

pressure on Mr Tsvangirai with a public call for him to accept the post

of prime minister under a Mr Mugabe presidency.

He said it was “important for each one of them (political leaders) to

remember that they have a duty and, indeed, they owe it to that great

country, to start afresh”.

In Zimbabwe, the opposition is under intense political and violent

pressure to agree to call off the poll and join a coalition government

led by Mr Mugabe.

Mr Tsvangirai, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, won the

first round of the elections in March but narrowly failed to win an

outright majority.

He has rejected any agreement that leaves Mr Mugabe in office and says

there can be no agreement on power sharing before a run-off vote because

he is confident of victory.

“Mugabe will lose,” Mr Tsvangirai said. “It’s just a formality to go and

campaign, the people have already decided.”

But the support the has been banking on to achieve that victory has not

been forthcoming, with ruling Zanu PF defector, Dr Simba Makoni who

garnered eight percent of the vote in the four way presidential race now

taking center stage in the push for the transitional government.

The smaller faction of the MDC led by Professor Arthur Mutambara is

reportedly divided on the run-off with some senior official preferring

to support a transitional government instead of Mr Tsvangirai’s final

push.

Those calling for the transitional government argue that there is no

hope for a free and fair election in Zimbabwe because of the worsening

violence, which the opposition says has claimed the lives of more than

60 of its supporters and displaced tens of thousands.

Is not conducive

Dr Makoni says the current environment of instability and violence is

not conducive for a free and fair election.

“We are convinced that the last thing Zimbabwe and the people need is

another election,” he said recently.

“Between now and June 27 we believe that an election cannot be conducted

the people will be short changed.”

He revealed that the negotiations between the ruling Zanu PF and the MDC

were taking place and both leaders – Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai

respectively – were agreed that a transitional government would resolve

the problem of Zimbabwe.

Analysts fear that if Mr Tsvangirai’s backers in the opposition do not

take a decision soon on whether to endorse his candidature and continue

with their push for government of national unity, they will deliver

victory to Mr Mugabe.

Already, Mr Tsvangirai can not campaign in the former Zanu PF rural

strongholds that have been sealed off by President Mugabe’s militant

supporters who have been blamed for most of the violence rocking the

country.

There is also concern among some opposition politicians that, if the MDC

insists on taking power, the government will use escalating

state-sponsored violence as a pretext to call off the polls at the last

minute and impose emergency rule.

Professor Welshman Ncube, the secretary general of the smaller faction

of the MDC said a decision was likely to be made on Friday on whether to

endorse Mr Tsvangirai.

But he admitted there were divisions in the faction over strategy as

some members felt that the main MDC wanted to divide the group by

secretly approaching their Members of Parliament and councillors to

campaign for Mr Tsvangirai.

“There are some who are going to our members, councilors, Members of

Parliament and others in leadership positions and asking them to

campaign with them without our knowledge,” Prof Ncube said. 

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