The Star (Johannesburg)
June 24, 2008
By Peta Thornycroft, Louis Weston and Hans Pienaar
Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai sought refuge at the Dutch embassy in Harare as Robert Mugabe’s government said it would press ahead with Friday’s presidential run-off despite Tsvangirai’s withdrawal.
The Movement for Democratic Change leader went to the Dutch embassy, a large compound in the east of the city, after announcing his pullout on Sunday.
“He asked to come and stay because he was concerned about his safety,” a Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in The Hague yesterday.
Tsvangirai had not requested political asylum.
Earlier, the MDC said police raided its Harare headquarters and took away more than 60 victims of violence, including women and children.
The MDC said nearly 90 of its supporters had been killed by militias backing Mugabe since the March 27 elections.
It added that newly elected Thamsanqa Mahlangu, a deputy for a constituency in Bulawayo, “is battling for his life in an intensive care unit after armed Zanu-PF militia attacked him on Sunday”.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean government said it was pressing ahead with the election.
“We don’t have a war. We will be able to hold credible elections,” Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairperson George Chiweshe said.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa told the state-controlled Herald newspaper yesterday: “Zanu-PF is not treating the threats (of world condemnation) seriously; it is a nullity. We are proceeding with our campaign to romp to victory on Friday.”
MDC legal expert David Coltart said in his interpretation of the Electoral Act that it was too late for a formal withdrawal and that the run-off would have to go ahead.
In SA, the Democratic Alliance called for the election to continue, with the MDC on the ballot.
Cancelling the election or removing Tsvangirai from the ballot would complete the process by which Mugabe launched a silent coup d’etat.