'Mugabe declared war and we will not be part of that war'
By Daniel Howden and Basildon Peta in Johannesburg
Monday, 23 June 2008
Zimbabwe's hopes of democratic salvation ended yesterday amid clouds of tear gas and intimidating mobs
of armed men who blocked opposition attempts to hold a legal rally in the capital. Morgan Tsvangirai,
the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, responded by pulling out of a run-off against
President Robert Mugabe, saying that conditions for an election had become impossible, that the result
was preordained and that his supporters were being murdered in a "genocide" which should be stopped by
the UN.
"We can't ask the people to cast their vote ... when that vote will cost their lives," he said. "We
will no longer participate in this violent sham of an election. Mugabe has declared war, and we will
not be part of that war."
That war has already claimed at least 86 lives, according to independent observers. Dozens more are
feared dead and thousands have been beaten.
The decision to withdraw from the contest came after thousands of ruling party militia armed with
sticks and rocks blockaded a Harare stadium where the MDC had been due to hold a legally sanctioned
rally. Trucks full of Zanu-PF thugs circled the venue and opposition supporters were beaten, with at
least two people seriously injured. Journalists and African election monitors were driven away.
Yesterday's scenes were typical of the second phase of an election that has descended into
state-sponsored terrorism. The initial poll on 29 March saw the ruling party lose its parliamentary
majority, with Mr Mugabe taking second place to Mr Tsvangirai. Mr Mugabe would prefer the veneer of a
contest, said the lawyer and rights activist Lovemore Madhuku. "They might still force an election on
the basis that Tsvangirai's withdrawal came too late. They might try to hold him to the election and
announce whatever [number of] votes for him after declaring Mugabe winner."
The Government responded to yesterday's news by saying it would proceed with the run-off.
Reaction from voters to the MDC's withdrawal was divided. "I don't see the point of having
participated in this election in the first place with Mugabe and his family declaring they will remain
ensconced in State House even if they had lost," said Grace Mlilo, an opposition supporter. But
Earnest Chikoshi, a fellow MDC voter, said: "We have betrayed the dozens of our comrades who have been
murdered and thousands more who have been brutalised ... I believe we were going to win this election
because Mugabe's brutality had hardened instead of softening attitudes."
Mr Tsvangirai, who has been arrested five times during recent campaigning, called on the United
Nations, the European Union and the Southern African regional bloc SADC to intervene urgently. Mr
Tsvangirai said he would put forward new proposals on how to take the country forward. "Our victory is
certain, but it can only be delayed," he said in a message to the country.
South Africa's President, Thabo Mbeki, alone among neighbouring leaders, has appeared to favour Mr
Mugabe and gave a muted response to yesterday's withdrawal. South Africa urged Zimbabwe's opposition
to remain in talks over its favoured option of a government of national unity – an option
rejected by all sides.
With no clear mechanism for applying pressure on Mr Mugabe, the US led international condemnation of
the violence while appearing to offer no new ideas on resolving the crisis. "The government of
Zimbabwe and its thugs must stop the violence now," said Carlton Carroll, a White House assistant
press secretary. "All parties should be able to participate in a legitimate election and not be
subject to intimidation."