UN chief strongly discourages Zimbabwe election (via Reuters)

Via Reuters

Please take the time to download and watch the Peace and Security in Africa. Briefing by B. Lynn Pasco, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, on the situation in Zimbabwe. Webcast archive video - 16mins in length (thanks for the tip J). This is a link to all the archives:

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday “strongly discouraged” Zimbabwe’s government from pressing ahead with a run-off presidential election this week, saying the results would lack legitimacy.

“I would strongly discourage the authorities from going ahead with the run-off on Friday,” he told reporters after meeting with the 15-nation Security Council.

“It will only deepen divisions within the country and produce a result that cannot be credible.”

In Ban’s strongest comments on Zimbabwe to date, he also voiced understanding for opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s decision to withdraw from the presidential election.

“I would like to take this moment to say how distressed I am by the events leading to the understandable decision of the opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from the run-off election scheduled for this Friday,” Ban said.

“There has been too much violence and too much intimidation,” he said. “A vote held in these conditions would lack all legitimacy.”

Ban did not specifically blame President Robert Mugabe and his government for the situation, though he did speak of a “campaign of threat and intimidation” against the citizens of Zimbabwe.

He said the problems in Zimbabwe had an impact beyond its borders, describing the situation as “the single greatest challenge to regional stability in southern Africa today.”

Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council began talks on what the United States, France and Britain hoped would result in the body’s first action on the election crisis since it began.

Washington said it hoped the council would issue a statement on Monday. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters there was “growing concern” about Zimbabwe around the world.

The 15-nation council has discussed Zimbabwe but has taken no formal action since violence broke out after Mugabe lost in March 29 presidential elections.

This has been due to objections from South Africa, a council member, which has insisted on “quiet diplomacy” with Mugabe’s government. Pretoria has had the support of veto-wielding permanent council members Russia and China.

“TENSE” TALKS

With the violence escalating and Tsvangirai seeking refuge in the Dutch embassy in Harare, some council members said it was now time for the council to back the opposition.

“We are expecting the meeting this afternoon to be tense,” French Ambassador to the United Nations Jean-Maurice Ripert told reporters. He declined to elaborate.

South Africa originally opposed council action on Zimbabwe, arguing that it was a domestic problem with no relevance for the world’s guardian of international peace and security. But Ripert said that debate was over.

Britain circulated a draft statement to other members of the council before its meeting on Zimbabwe currently under way.

The draft statement, obtained by Reuters, says the council expresses its full support for Tsvangirai in the absence of a legitimate second-round election.

“Until there is a clearly free and fair second round of the presidential election, the only legitimate basis for a government of Zimbabwe is the outcome of the 29 March 2008 election,” the text says.

Council diplomats said the clear assigning of blame to Mugabe and the suggestion that Tsvangirai could be considered a legitimately elected president was unacceptable for South Africa, which wanted the language dropped from the text. (Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, Editing by Chris Wilson)

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