US to Mugabe: Call off the dogs in Zimbabwe

May 1, 2008, 20:01 GMT

Washington - The United States on Thursday questioned the fairness of a possible run-off vote in the Zimbabwe election dispute because of President Robert Mugabe's violent crackdown on the opposition since the first vote took place a month ago.

'What we need to have happen is to have President Mugabe call off his dogs and cease his security services and his supporters' attacks on those who are simply trying to express their views peacefully and appropriately,' State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.

Zimbabwean election officials have pledged to release the results in the March 29 elections in the coming days, but Washington and international observers have questioned the credibility of the results because of the delay.

'There's been an absolutely unconscionable and inexplicable delay in the process of releasing votes,' Casey said. 'And at this point, I think whatever those results show, they're probably going to have limited credibility.'

Mugabe's Zanu-PF has said the leader won 43 per cent of the vote while conceding that opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai won 47 per cent but fell short of an outright victory.

Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) argues he won 50.3 per cent of the vote and a run-off was not needed. Mugabe's government has refused to release the results, raising concerns officials were tampering with the outcome.

At the same time, Mugabe's security forces have launched a widespread crackdown against the opposition and its supporters.

'It would almost be impossible to hold (a run-off) given the current campaign of state-orchestrated violence and intimidation against the political opposition, in particular, and against just much of the general citizenry,' Casey said.