US urges monitors to watch runoff in Zimbabwe

The White House yesterday urged the presence of election and human rights monitors at a runoff vote in Zimbabwe between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

The country has been in a stalemate since the March 29 election when official results showed Mugabe's party lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since independence in 1980 and that Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the presidential ballot but not by enough votes to avoid a runoff.

Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party has accused the ruling Zanu-PF of vote-rigging by intimidating and attacking voters.

"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 spokesperson Gordon Johndroe said in Texas where US President George W Bush was attending his daughter Jenna's wedding.

"Opposition leaders and supporters must be able to freely campaign free of violence," he said.

Tsvangirai said today he would return home within two days to contest the runoff against Mugabe and deal him a "final knockout" after almost three decades in power.

But chances of a speedy end to the stalemate appeared remote after Zimbabwe's justice minister rejected Tsvangirai's preconditions for taking part in the runoff that international observers and media get full access to ensure the vote is fair. - Reuters