Zimbabwe opposition leader to participate in runoff

Announcing the decision at a Pretoria press conference today, Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, called on the security forces, ruling party youths and war veterans to stop violence against the public: "You are breaking Zimbabwean and international law and the whole world is watching."

The runoff date has not been announced but under law should be held within 21 days of the first election results, which were announced a week ago. Tsvangirai said by law the vote should be held May 24.

Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights, who have been monitoring the casualties in post-election violence, said Friday that more than 900 people have been treated for fractures and deep tissue damage as a result of beatings, but said that actual numbers were much higher since many could not access medical care.

In an appeal to the military and security chiefs whom analysts see as holding the key to the nation's future, Tsvangirai said President Robert Mugabe, once the nation's heroic liberator, had betrayed the 1970s liberation struggle by turning his thugs on the population:

"The time is now for Zimbabwean professional security services to become professional again and to follow their hearts instead of following a former liberation hero on his path to destruction."

Tsvangirai called for regional peacekeepers, international observers from Africa and the U.N., and free media access to cover the elections. He also called for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to be reformed because it was biased in favor of the ruling party.

Tsvangirai said the MDC was willing to create the conditions for a peaceful transition by forming an inclusive government of national unity but it would not go into negotiations on those arrangements as a junior partner.

The MDC won the most parliamentary seats and controls the parliament with the help of a breakaway MDC faction. According to official results, Tsvangirai also won the most presidential votes, but fell just short of the 50% plus one vote required to win outright.

At a press conference in Pretoria today to announce his participation in a runoff, Tsvangirai insisted he had won the presidential election outright.

"We know another election may bring more violence, more gloom and more despair," said Tsvangirai.

He said the ruling party violence was designed to undermine the MDC's structures so it could not contest a second round.

Tsvangirai said there were mixed views on whether people would be too afraid to turn out and vote in a second round. But he said despite the risk faced by MDC activists, it would be a betrayal of Zimbabweans not to participate in the second round:

"We know a runoff election could finally knock out a dictator for good. The overwhelming sentiment that emerged from the people of Zimbabwe is that they want change now, not later. They believe we in Zimbabwe are brave enough, strong enough and angry enough to fight the election now."