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Tsvangirai: time to reach political settlement

HARARE: Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday called for peacekeepers to resolve the political crisis and warned there would be no talks until “political prisoners” were freed.

At the same time, he said a “negotiated political settlement” that allows for “national healing” was the best option. Mr. Tsvangirai, who addressed reporters at his home after temporarily leaving his refuge in the Dutch embassy, where he had been since Sunday night, also told African leaders “the time for action is now” to push for a solution in Zimbabwe.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader referred to previous written comments he had made regarding peacekeepers in the country.

“I didn’t ask for any military intervention, but for armed peacekeepers,” he said, referring to previous written comments.

Earlier, Mr. Tsvangirai had said the U.N. had to go further than verbal condemnation of President Robert Mugabe and move on to “active isolation,” which required “a force to protect the people.”

He said a “transitional period” was needed “to allow the country to heal,” urging the African Union and the 14-nation Southern African Development Community to lead the effort. Mr. Tsvangirai called for a “negotiated political settlement” that allows for economic reconstruction, aid distribution and “democratisation,” saying such a solution “would be in the best interest of the country.”

But he added he would not participate in talks until “political prisoners,” including the party’s number two leader, were freed from jail.

“Let me say clearly that there is no discussion about moving forward without our secretary general Tendai Biti,” he said.

Mr. Biti is in jail on subversion and vote-rigging charges and faces the death penalty. Mr. Tsvangirai on Sunday announced he was withdrawing from this week’s presidential run-off election, saying violence had made a fair vote impossible.

Mr. Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe for nearly three decades, has pledged the vote will go ahead and accused Mr. Tsvangirai of pulling out because he was afraid he would lose. Mr. Mugabe said in state media on Wednesday he was open to negotiations, but only after Friday’s run-off vote.

Mr. Tsvangirai returned to the Dutch embassy following his news conference at his Harare home.

Southern African heads of state met in Swaziland to find a resolution to the crisis.

South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki, however, did not attend Wednesday’s meeting of the Southern African Development Community leaders.

In London, Queen Elizabeth II stripped Robert Mugabe of his ceremonial knighthood on Wednesday, revoking the honour amid new attempts to rebuke the President of Zimbabwe and express revulsion over human rights abuses in his country. — Agencies

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