Zimbabwe Electoral Crisis Update

This past week, both the United Nations Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have renounced violence surrounding the electoral stand-off in Zimbabwe.

On Monday, the Security Council dileberated late in to the evening.  Current Security Council president Zalmay Khalilzad, United States Ambassador to the UN, expressed his frustration at the on-going voilence, indicating that it would be almost impossible for a “free and fair” election to occur on schedule.  Mr. Ban stated earlier this week that an election held under such adverse conditions “would lack all legitimacy.”

Additionally, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, renounced recent acts of violence and intimidation.  In a statement issued on 19 June, Pascoe called political intimidation “unacceptable” and noted that if violence continued it would be very difficult for the world community to recognize the results of this Friday’s previously-scheduled run-off election.  Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has been holed-up within the Dutch embassy after announcing his intention to pull out of his bid to unseat current President Robert Mugabe.  Tsvangirai’s supporters have been targeted in attacks by Mugabe loyalists. 

For more information on the Zimbabwe electorial crisis, please visit the BBC’s Zimbabwe Q&A, and the Guardian’s Zimbabwe timeline.  Google News on the Zimbabwe electorial crisis.