Johannesburg
10 April 2008
In Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai are reportedly to attend an emergency summit of southern African leaders to discuss Zimbabwe's elections. VOA's Scott Bobb reports from our Southern Africa Bureau in Johannesburg that the meeting is being held amid growing concern over the delayed results.
Zimbabwean government officials have announced President Mugabe's attendance at Saturday's summit in Lusaka, saying it is a normal meeting aimed at briefing southern African leaders on the vote.
But Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general Tendai Biti said Morgan Tsvangirai would tell the leaders his opposition party won the elections and they needed to press Mr. Mugabe to accept defeat.
"We hope that at SADC on Saturday the message that will be sent to President Mugabe, loudly, very clearly, is that please Mr. President, you've done your bit," Biti said. "You're a founding father, step down and let those who were given a mandate to govern carry on with the business, the important business, of rehabilitating that beautiful country called Zimbabwe."
Official results released a week ago show the Movement for Democratic Change won a majority of seats in the national assembly and half of the seats in the senate.
"We have no doubt beyond a reasonable doubt that ZANU-PF have done a forensic audit of this election which they do not have powers [to do]," he said. "And in complicity with the Zimbabwe Election Commission they have opened those ballot boxes. They have moved those ballot boxes, and they know what is inside those ballot boxes."
The head of the Southern African Economic Community, Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, announced the SADC summit Wednesday, amid rising concern in the region over a looming crisis in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Mwanawasa was said to have rejected an initial proposal to send a high-level delegation to Zimbabwe.
"Because of the deepening problem in the country, I felt that this matter should be dealt with at the presidential level," he said.
The Zimbabwe issue has begun to sow divisions within the region. South Africa's ruling African National Congress said the presidential election results should be released as soon as possible. The statement followed comments by ANC President Jacob Zuma that the delay did not look good for the future.
South African President Thabo Mbeki has urged patience, and South African diplomats have rejected calls for international intervention in Zimbabwe or for Mr. Mugabe's departure.