Zimbabwe govt urges Tsvangirai not to withdraw
Posted: 23 June 2008 1619 hrs

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JOHANNESBURG: A Zimbabwe government spokesman on Monday urged opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai not to withdraw from a presidential run-off, saying this would "not be good" for the people or the country.

"It would be very regrettable if Tsvangirai indeed decides to pull out of this election," Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga said on SABC radio.

"I will urge him or his party to think twice so that they take part in this democratic process."

"It (the withdrawal) will not be good for the people of Zimbabwe and for this country," he said, adding that the government had taken action to curtail violence across the country.

Tsvangirai said rising violence had made a fair vote impossible when announcing his decision to withdraw on Sunday.

President Robert Mugabe has blamed the opposition for the violence, but the UN has said his supporters were responsible for the bulk of it.

The opposition says more than 80 of its supporters have been killed and thousands injured in a campaign of intimidation.

Zimbabwe's ruling party said in state media on Monday that Tsvangirai's decision to withdraw may be a ruse, and urged its supporters to continue campaigning.

"ZANU-PF is not treating the threats seriously," Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa was quoted as saying by state-run newspaper The Herald.

"It is a nullity. We are proceeding with our campaign to romp to victory on Friday."


- AFP/so