U.N. condemns Zimbabwean violence

HARARE, Zimbabwe The U.N. Security Council has unanimously condemned the Zimbabwean government because of violence that has marred the campaign leading up to a scheduled presidential election runoff, which forced the withdrawal of the opposition candidate from the race.

The council's statement -- issued late Monday --questioned the legitimacy of any election held under such circumstances but did not directly call for the runoff, scheduled for Friday, to be postponed.

Earlier, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made that appeal, saying the vote runoff as currently scheduled "would only deepen divisions within the country and produce a result that could not be seen as credible."

But Boniface Chidyausiku, Zimbabwe's ambassador to the United Nations, said after the Security Council vote that the runoff would take place as planned.

"The Security Council cannot micromanage political elections in any country," he said. "They have expressed their view, and we take note of their view. But as far as we're concerned, the date is set."

Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, who announced Sunday that he was dropping out of the runoff, took refuge Monday in the Dutch Embassy in Harare. VideoTsvangirai says times are desperate for Zimbabwe people »

He cited an ongoing campaign of political intimidation, harassment and arrests by President Robert Mugabe's government and the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Mugabe spokesman George Charamba said Monday that "there is nothing on this good Earth that will stop the elections on the 27th."

"Even if Tsvangirai were to withdraw formally, which he hasn't done, the elections will still proceed," Charamba said.

Chidyausiku said the "violence is not widespread."

"The problem is the secretary general and other members of the (Security) Council are basing their arguments on sensationalist reports that are coming from Zimbabwe," he said. "When I talk to people at home, and what you see in the international media, you would think you are talking about two different countries."

Earlier, Secretary-General Ban joined Zimbabwe's African neighbors in calling for the runoff to be delayed. Holding a vote under under current conditions "would lack all legitimacy," Ban told reporters.

"The situation in Zimbabwe represents the single greatest challenge to regional stability in southern Africa today," he said. "The region's political and economic security are at stake, as is the very institution of elections in Africa."

Ban called Tsvangirai's withdrawal "understandable" and said a runoff "would only deepen divisions within the country and produce a result that could not be seen as credible."

But Mugabe, who has been Zimbabwe's only leader since it gained independence from Britain in 1980, has said "only God" can depose him, and has refused to recognize an opposition-led government. Tsvangirai said that under the current circumstances, "It doesn't matter whether I am in or not." Learn more about Zimbabwe »

"Staying in is not going to replace Mugabe, because Mugabe has said he will not leave even if he loses," Tsvangirai said in an interview with CNN. But he predicted that, with the country's economy in free fall, "the people of Zimbabwe will become more desperate."

"If we have 3 million leaving the country for political reasons, we are likely to double that figure, because no one will feel safe to stay in the country in that situation," he said.

Zimbabwe's state-controlled newspaper, the Harare Herald, addressed Tsvangirai's announcement in opinion pieces that urged the opposition leader to "grow up" and accused him of "grandstanding for a foreign audience while pretending to be doing it for the benefit of the people."

"We agree with him that violence is anathema not only to politics but to basic human decency, and it was high time he condemned the barbarism being visited by his supporters on innocent people countrywide," one such article said, echoing the government contention that it is supporters of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party, not Mugabe supporters, who are causing the violence.

Another said Tsvangirai was "dancing to the master's tune" played from political offices in Washington and London.

Mugabe, meanwhile, told supporters at a rally in Chipinge that the United States and Britain were "telling a lot of lies about Zimbabwe, saying a lot of people are dying."

"These are all lies because they want to build a situation to justify their intervention in Zimbabwe," he said, according to the Harare Herald.

Tsvangirai led Mugabe in the March 29 election, but failed to win enough votes to avoid a runoff. The MDC initially claimed outright victory in the election, but weeks later, when the government finally announced the official results, the opposition party agreed to participate in the runoff. VideoWatch more about the impact of Tsvangirai's decision »

Tsvangirai was supposed to address a major political rally at Harare's stadium on Sunday, but it was called off after the MDC said youth militias loyal to Mugabe's Zanu-PF ruling party brutally beat its supporters. Video showed people being beaten on a street outside the stadium. The MDC said police stood by and took no action.

An MDC lawmaker remains in critical condition after being attacked as he headed to Glamis Arena for the rally, the party said.

A day later, Zimbabwe police raided the MDC's main offices in Harare, detaining dozens of people who had sought refuge from political violence.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa denounced what he said were 60 arrests, including women and children who were either injured or fleeing from recent political violence.

But Zimbabwe national police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said police and health ministry officials took 39 people from the MDC offices to a rehabilitation center outside Harare to be questioned about their purported attacks.

Bvudzijena said the people were not arrested but will be questioned by police about their claims that they are victims of political violence. He said police and Zimbabwe health officials were responding to reports from the Red Cross and the MDC that some 2,000 people who were injured or fleeing violent attacks in Zimbabwe had sought refuge at the party offices.

When asked about the reason for the raid, Charamba told CNN it was part of "the ongoing crackdown on lawless elements that have been bringing so much violence" in Zimbabwe.

"The government will act on anyone, anywhere who is thought to be contravening the laws of the country," he said.

The Harare Herald reported that "37 supporters and their children" were removed from the building because they were living "under hazardous health conditions." The Herald quoted Police Superintendent Jessie Banda saying that the police would take the opportunity to search for "persons wanted for political violence who might have been using the MDC-T headquarters as their safe house."

Mugabe and his government have denied accusations that they are responsible for the violence, blaming the MDC.

"MDC has a reason to exaggerate what is happening in the country for political purposes," Charamba told CNN.

Charamba chided CNN and other news organizations for not reporting the purported deaths of war veterans loyal to Mugabe, who he said had been "hacked to death" by MDC loyalists.