Johannesburg — IN A move likely to deepen Zimbabwe's protracted political crisis, the main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew yesterday from the bitterly contested presidential runoff election, citing intensifying electoral violence and killings.
The decision puts Tsvangirai's hopes of capturing the presidency at risk, while opening an opportunity for Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders, especially President Thabo Mbeki, to salvage a negotiated settlement from the stalemate.
The SADC, through Mbeki, has increased pressure on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Tsvangirai to form a unity government to avoid a runoff.
Last night Mbeki said he hoped the parties would continue talks and would be " open to a process which would result in them coming to some agreement about what happens to their country".
Mbeki met Mugabe and Tsvangirai separately in Zimbabwe last week and got a commitment to a government of national unity from both -- although there were several unresolved issues.
Mbeki then dispatched his mediators, Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi and his legal adviser Mojanku Gumbi to Harare on Friday to work out details of the plan. Mufamadi and Gumbi were unable to make progress as Mugabe ducked a meeting with them, claiming he was busy.
Mbeki is understood to have ordered them to remain in Harare until they met Mugabe.
Tsvangirai has been pressed by party officials and SADC leaders to withdraw from the poll which they say will not resolve Zimbabwe's problems. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader yesterday relented and withdrew.
"We will no longer participate in the violent illegitimate sham of an election process," Tsvangirai said.
He said Mugabe had declared war on the people by saying the "bullet has replaced the ballot". Mugabe said last week he would show the world that a "ballpoint pen is not mightier than a gun".
"We believe an election that reflects the will of the people is impossible", Tsvangirai said.
The MDC leader appealed to the United Nations, the African Union and the SADC to "intervene and stop the genocide".
"This violent retributive campaign has left more than 200000 people internally displaced and over 86 MDC supporters killed. More than 20000 homes have been destroyed and over 10000 people have been injured and maimed in this orgy of violence," Tsvangirai said.
The government has deployed security forces to campaign for Mugabe.
The crackdown has affected the MDC , civil society leaders, human rights groups, diplomats and journalists. South African Sunday newspapers sold in Zimbabwe, which had in-depth coverage of the government's excesses, were blocked from the country yesterday.
Welshman Ncube, a senior official of the MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara, said Tsvangirai's decision to pull out was the "right thing to do".
"He didn't have a choice. Where in the world have you seen an election in which only one of the candidates is allowed to campaign? Mugabe is the only one who was campaigning, using state resources and security forces. How on earth do you have an election in which both of the candidates say even if I lose I won't accept the result," Ncube said.
"This is no longer an election. It has become a charade, a monumental farce."
Independent MP and political analyst Jonathan Moyo, a former Mugabe spokesman, said the decision was "suicidal".
"It's wrong move at the wrong time. There is a danger that by pulling out of the election, Tsvangirai has dug a political grave for himself," Moyo said. " It will compound Mugabe's legitimacy crisis, but may wreck Tsvangirai's career."
Moyo said the move exposed Tsvangirai's weaknesses and inconsistencies. "It reflects badly on Tsvangirai. As recently as last week, he said he didn't need to campaign because voters had already made up their minds. He said no amount of violence will make Mugabe win. On Saturday he said was contesting the runoff which he claimed no one can cancel.
"Right from the March elections he didn't know what to do. First, he said he was not contesting the runoff because he had allegedly won. Later his said he was in. In the meantime, he left the country on an unclear diplomatic mission. He built a myth of unassailability, only to shatter it himself," Moyo said.
With Reuters
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Mr. Tsvangirai, in withdrawing from the election, has conclusively demonstrated his moral superiority to Mr. Mugabe. While it is commonly understood that politicians seek power and will do many things to gain or hold it, Mr. Tsvangirai draws the line at the slaughter of his fellow Zimbabweans.
All powerfully true.
With the Zanu Pf Electoral Commission(ZEC) in charge what do you expect?and suspected MDC "thugs and Hooligans"(In ZANU PF colourful T-Shirts) beating our loyal and patrotic Zimbabweans,what more can you expect.Fellow Africans, food for thought.
MDC-T pullout a nullity: Chinamasa
Herald Reporters http://www.herald.co.zw/
ZANU-PF has advised its supporters not to be hoodwinked by MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirais threat to pull out of the presidential run-off while the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said preparations for the poll were going ahead because the opposition has not formally withdrawn.
Addressing a media briefing last night, Zanu-PF media sub-committee chairman Cde Patrick Chinamasa urged ruling party supporters to continue campaigning for an emphatic victory.
"This is the 11th time that Tsvangirai has threatened to withdraw from the presidential run-off and on each occasion I have challenged him to put it in writing as required by the law.
"Zanu-PF is not treating the threats seriously; it is a nullity. We are proceeding with our campaign to romp to victory on Friday," he said.
Cde Chinamasa said Tsvangirai was citing political violence as an excuse, but the truth was that the majority of cases of violence were being instigated by MDC-T against Zanu-PF supporters.
Cde Chinamasa said MDC-T supporters had stolen Zanu-PF regalia, which they put on and go around attacking ruling party supporters.
"The MDC-T has stolen our campaign material to disturb their own rally for purposes of propaganda as they seek to have the international community intervene in our domestic affairs," he said.
Commenting on claims that Zanu-PF had disrupted a planned opposition rally in Harare, Cde Chinamasa said the ruling party was aware that Harare was an MDC-T stronghold and would not "expose its supporters to MDC-T hooligans attending the rally".
"Tsvangirai went into the election thinking that it was a sprint and was not prepared for a marathon and wants to avoid defeat. He spent his time globe-trotting and gallivanting in Europe and left MDC-T supporters without leadership.
"Zanu-PF exploited the opportunity and campaigned vigorously for victory and when he returned, he realised that the tables had turned against him. His party was in disarray, leading to the decision to withdraw from participating in the run-off."
Cde Chinamasa said the opposition leader was staring a humiliating defeat in the presidential run-off while his problems had been compounded by his failure to recruit polling agents for the election.
"Tsvangirai promised his polling agents US$1 000 after the March 29 elections, which was paid to a selected few and the agents who were not paid are not prepared to stand for him in the run-off."
He said Tsvangirais announcement to quit the election was calculated to coincide with a European Union meeting and the United States chairmanship of the United Nations Security Council.
"It is clear that Tsvangirai, through his announcement, is seeking to take advantage of the meeting and USAs chairperson to invite a strong resolution against Zimbabwe by the Security Council.
"But as far as we are concerned, the situation in Zimbabwe does not warrant intervention from outside while the police are in control of the situation and the MDC-T attempts will not succeed."
ZEC chairman Justice George Chiweshe said the commission had not received any correspondence from MDC-T regarding its pullout and was continuing with preparations for the election.
"We have just heard about the withdrawal from the Press. We expect them (MDC-T) to write to the commission as the authority responsible for elections in the country. Maybe that letter will come and we will cross the bridge when we get there," he said.
Tsvangirai told journalists and observers in Harare yesterday that he had decided to withdraw from the presidential run-off but a final decision would be announced on Wednesday.
"We will no longer participate in the election process. We are going to articulate our vision and the way forward to the people of Zimbabwe and the world on Wednesday after further consulting the people," said Tsvangirai.
If Tsvangirai formally withdraws, President Mugabe continues as Head of State.
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