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Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe will start a 'war against the people', warns Morgan Tsvangirai
Tom Chivers, The Telegraph
April 05, 2008

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/05/wzim305.xml

The leader of Zimbabwe's main opposition party has warned that the country's president Robert Mugabe is preparing for a "war against the people".

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change party, told reporters the MDC was reluctant to take part in a second round of presidential elections because of the fear of violence.

However, he stopped short of threatening a boycott.

"Zanu-PF is preparing a war against the people," Tsvangirai said. "In the runoff, violence will be the weapon. It is therefore unfair and unreasonable for President Mugabe to call a runoff."

Earlier the MDC appealed for the UN to step in to prevent violence ahead of a possible presidential run-off campaign.

However, South African president Thabo Mbeki urged the international community to wait for the results of any election re-run.

Nelson Chamisa, a spokesman for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, warned that there were signs incumbent president Robert Mugabe, 84, was ready to begin a crackdown amid fears that he will use force in his efforts to retain power.

"They are trying to intimidate people, they are trying to set up the context for unleashing violence", Chamisa told reporters.

"The vampire instincts of this regime are definitely going to come out."

Armed police prevented the party's lawyers entering the country's High Court to submit a legal challenge to release the full results of last week's election.

Feared veterans of the guerrilla war used in the past to beat up opponents have held an intimidating march, while opposition party offices were raided and armed police in full riot gear arrested foreign journalists in a show of force.

Urging caution, the South African president disagreed, saying: "I think it is time to wait. Let's see the outcome of the election results. "If there is a re-run of the presidential election let us see what comes out of that," he went on.

Zanu-PF, the ruling party, have said that they will endorse Mr Mugabe as their candidate in a run-off despite his chastening electoral losses.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown reiterated his calls for the results of the presidential election to be announced.

He said that if there was a run-off between Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai, international observers should be in place to ensure it was carried out fairly.

"We are monitoring the situation closely. I think the important thing is that the results have got to be published. They cannot be any longer delayed. They have got to be seen to fair," he said.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband agreed that foreign observers must be allowed into the country to scrutinize any possible run-off. Mr Mbeki will meet with Mr Brown on the sidelines of the international summit to discuss the issue.

The Zimbabean opposition's legal bid to force release of presidential election results was postponed to Sunday after armed police prevented its lawyers entering the High Court on Saturday.

"The case has been postponed until 12 noon tomorrow," Movement for Democratic Change lawyer Andrew Makoni said.

He said the electoral commission had asked for more time to file opposing papers.

Earlier armed police had prevented Makoni and another opposition lawyer from entering the High Court building.

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