Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is considering pulling out of the June 27th presidential run-off election, a spokesman for his Movement for Democratic Change said today.
"There is a huge avalanche of calls and pressure from supporters across the country, especially in the rural areas, not to accept to be participants in this charade," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said.
Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai speaks outside a court in Harare
Mr Chamisa did not say when the MDC would decide on participating in the run-off between Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe. Mr Tsvangirai beat Mr Mugabe in the March 29th presidential election but failed to win an absolute majority, according to official results.
The opposition, human rights groups and Western nations accuse Mr Mugabe and his ruling Zanu-PF of orchestrating a brutal campaign to intimidate the opposition and extend Mr Mugabe's 28-year rule in the country, its economy now in ruins.
At least 70 opposition activists have been killed by Zanu-PF militia and security forces and thousands of others have been beaten and harassed, the MDC says. Mr Mugabe's officials blame the opposition for the bloodshed.
Mr Tsvangirai has been arrested five times in the past month and his lieutenant, Tendai Biti, is in police custody facing a treason charge that could carry a death sentence. A Zimbabwean magistrate today ruled that MDC official Tendai Biti should remain in police custody on a treason charge and other offenses until July 7th, rejecting the party's bid to free him.
"Taking into account all submissions, I'm of the view that there's reasonable suspicion to believe the accused committed the said offenses. Accordingly the application is dismissed," Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe said in a Harare court.
European Union leaders were set to issue a new threat of further sanctions on Zimbabwe today over the election violence, a draft summit statement showed.
The EU text, obtained by Reuters before the final working session of the two-day summit, said a free and fair election was critical to the resolution of a political and economic crisis in the former British colony.
But it stopped short of backing US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's assertion yesterday that actions by Mr Mugabe's government meant the run-off will not be free and fair.
EU leaders urged the Southern Africa Development Community and the African Union to deploy a significant number of election monitors and called for a swift and transparent vote count this time after lengthy delays in the first round.
"The European Council reiterates its readiness to take additional measures against those responsible for violence," it said.
EU sanctions currently include an arms embargo, and visa bans and freezing of assets on more than a hundred officials including Mr Mugabe.
Meanwhile a Zimbabwean government minister accused British prime Minister Gordon Brown today of trying to bribe African leadera to condemn the southern African country's presidential run-off election.
"True to fashion, prime minister Gordon Brown is going back to the old habit of divide and rule," Science and Technology minister Olivia Muchena, one of president Robert Mugabe's campaign co-ordinators, said on state television.
"We note with concern the attempt to bribe and coerce African leaders to speak against the results of the presidential run-off before they are even held on the 27th of June."