A United Nations envoy met Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe today to discuss the violent political crisis ahead of this month's presidential election run-off.
The visit of Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios is the first by a senior UN official for three years and comes at a time of growing international pressure on Mr Mugabe over the June 27th vote.
"He met the president to discuss the technical requirements for holding the election, to see what the UN can do to help build capacity for a free and fair election," a UN official said.
Mr Mugabe (84) faces the Movement for Democratic Change's (MDC) Morgan Tsvangirai in the election. The opposition leader won a first round in March, but without enough votes to secure an outright victory, official results showed.
Mr Mugabe has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980 and is fighting to keep power amid a desperate economic crisis that has brought hyperinflation and food shortages and has driven millions of Zimbabweans to seek work abroad.
His Western critics and human right groups accuse the veteran leader of orchestrating a violent campaign to intimidate MDC supporters and leaders ahead of the election.
Elsewhere, Zimbabwe's High Court today dismissed an application for police to release Movement for Democratic Change Secretary-General Tendai Biti, who faces treason charges.
"I am not satisfied that the application has demonstrated that what he is calling continued detention is unlawful," Judge Samuel Kudya said. Biti has been held since his arrest on his return on Thursday to Zimbabwe ahead of a June 27th presidential run-off vote.
Police said they were holding Biti for announcing the results of the March 29th general elections prematurely. He faces a possible death penalty if convicted of the treason charge.
Mr Tsvangirai has been repeatedly detained and released during the election campaign. The MDC says at least 66 opposition activists have been killed by militia from Mugabe's ZANU-PF since the March elections.
Mr Mugabe blames the opposition for the violence, which has caused concerns in the region, which fears the consequences of a meltdown in Zimbabwe.
Namibia's prime minister voiced concern at conditions in Zimbabwe and said southern African countries would double the number of observers monitoring the run-off from those who followed the first round vote.
"There should be observers everywhere in Zimbabwe," Prime Minister Nahas Angula told reporters in Helsinki. "We are doing all this in hope that the presence of observers will somehow prevent political violence to take place."
Britain and the United States urged Mr Mugabe this week to allow a broader international observer mission. Monitors from countries critical of Mugabe have been banned from observing the election.
Mr Mugabe threatened yesterday to arrest MDC leaders over the violence, and has vowed the opposition party will never rule Zimbabwe. He has said his supporters are ready to take up arms to prevent Zimbabwe from falling under the control of the country's white minority and Western powers.
A government minister dismissed speculation the election might be cancelled to avoid the risk of a Tsvangirai win.
"The run-off is going to take place on the June 27th, so focus on that and the results coming immediately after that date," Emmerson Mnangagwa, who heads the rural housing and social amenities ministry, said at a press conference in Maputo