ZIMBABWE:Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, threatened yesterday to arrest opposition leaders over election campaign violence for which his opponents blame ruling party supporters.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has been repeatedly detained during his campaign, but has faced no charges. His Movement for Democratic Change party says 66 people have been killed in election violence by ruling Zanu-PF supporters.
Mr Mugabe blames the opposition for the disturbances. "There is now a pattern readable across the country and that has now to stop," he told a campaign rally in Kadoma, 150km (90 miles) south of the capital, Harare.
"We are warning them that we will not hesitate to arrest them, and we will do that in broad daylight. They think they are protected by the British and the Americans. The law of the country has to be observed."
Mr Mugabe is battling to keep his 28-year hold on power in a country suffering economic collapse. Mr Tsvangirai won the first poll in March but without enough votes for an outright victory, official results show.
At a news conference in London after talks with US president George W Bush, British prime minister Gordon Brown described Zimbabwe's government as an "increasingly desperate and criminal regime" and accused it of orchestrating the violence.
"Mugabe must not be allowed to steal the election," Mr Brown said.
"We call for Zimbabwe to accept a United Nations human rights envoy to visit Zimbabwe now and to accept international monitors from all parts of the world who are available to ensure that this is a free and fair election."
A senior UN envoy, assistant secretary general for political affairs Haile Menkerios, arrived in Zimbabwe late yesterday for a five-day visit to assess the political and humanitarian crisis ahead of the run-off vote.
Observers from western countries were barred from the first-round ballot on March 29th and are not being allowed in for the run-off. The African Union and Southern African Development Community will send teams.
Mr Mugabe (84) has held power since independence from Britain in 1980. Critics say the economy has been ruined by his policies. He says western sanctions are responsible.
Zimbabwe ordered aid agencies to stop work on June 4th, accusing them of working against Zanu-PF. - (Reuters)