AI
Saturday, April 12, 2008 12:51:58 PM
Am guessing Mugabe may not leave the country until his final departure, or he may
have something foisted upon him; absence does not always make the heart grow fonder.
"South Africa, the one country most likely to hold sway in Zimbabwe’s crisis, took pains on Wednesday to distance itself from the opposition. President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa had no plans to meet Mr. Tsvangirai, a spokesman for Mr. Mbeki said, although a spokesman for the opposition said Mr. Tsvangirai had requested a meeting."
Southern Africa leaders start Zimbabwe summit
Reuters
Published: Saturday, April 12, 2008
LUSAKA (Reuters) - Southern African nations began an emergency summit on Zimbabwe's election deadlock on Saturday but South African President Thabo Mbeki, their most powerful leader, said there was no crisis to address.
Zambia, chairman of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), called the summit because of fears that a long delay in issuing results of a March 29 presidential election could spark serious violence.
"This extraordinary summit has been convened out of concern at the recent turn of events in Zimbabwe. This summit should focus on helping Zimbabwe to find an answer that genuinely reflects the mood of the people," Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa said in opening remarks.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe (R) walks with South Africa
President Thabo Mbeki on his arrival in the capital Harare
April 12, 2008. Mbeki is in Zimbabwe for talks with Mugabe on
the country's election deadlock, before a regional leaders
meet in neighbouring Zambia to discuss the crisis.
REUTERS/Howard Burditt
More pictures: < Prev | Next > .. heh, on mine, only if you enjoy a yo-yo .. inside ..
"SADC can no longer continue to stand by and do nothing when one of its members is experiencing political and economic difficulties," he said.
Mbeki, who advocates "quiet diplomacy" in Zimbabwe and last year led an unsuccessful SADC mediation attempt, seemed not to share the concern of Zambia and other neighboring countries.
Before the meeting he met Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, who is not attending the summit, in Harare.
"I wouldn't describe that as a crisis. It's a normal electoral process in Zimbabwe. We have to wait for ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) to release (the results)," Mbeki told reporters after meeting Mugabe for an hour.
The Movement for Democratic Change opposition won a parliamentary election on March 29 and says its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, also won a presidential poll on the same day.
But no results of that election have been released, stoking tension in Zimbabwe. Many Zimbabweans had hoped the vote would begin their recovery from economic collapse and the world's worst rate of hyper-inflation.
The MDC has gone to court to try to force the ZEC to release the results and a judge has promised a verdict for Monday.
Mugabe, aged 84 and in power since independence from Britain in 1980, said he was not snubbing the summit, which three government ministers will attend.
"He (Mbeki) is going to the summit, I'm not ... We're very good friends, very good brothers. But sometimes we also have other business that holds us back," Mugabe told reporters.
© Reuters 2008
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=03c4eabe-9126-48ac-9a52-a165357f4afe
have something foisted upon him; absence does not always make the heart grow fonder.
"South Africa, the one country most likely to hold sway in Zimbabwe’s crisis, took pains on Wednesday to distance itself from the opposition. President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa had no plans to meet Mr. Tsvangirai, a spokesman for Mr. Mbeki said, although a spokesman for the opposition said Mr. Tsvangirai had requested a meeting."
Southern Africa leaders start Zimbabwe summit
Reuters
Published: Saturday, April 12, 2008
LUSAKA (Reuters) - Southern African nations began an emergency summit on Zimbabwe's election deadlock on Saturday but South African President Thabo Mbeki, their most powerful leader, said there was no crisis to address.
Zambia, chairman of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), called the summit because of fears that a long delay in issuing results of a March 29 presidential election could spark serious violence.
"This extraordinary summit has been convened out of concern at the recent turn of events in Zimbabwe. This summit should focus on helping Zimbabwe to find an answer that genuinely reflects the mood of the people," Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa said in opening remarks.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe (R) walks with South Africa
President Thabo Mbeki on his arrival in the capital Harare
April 12, 2008. Mbeki is in Zimbabwe for talks with Mugabe on
the country's election deadlock, before a regional leaders
meet in neighbouring Zambia to discuss the crisis.
REUTERS/Howard Burditt
More pictures: < Prev | Next > .. heh, on mine, only if you enjoy a yo-yo .. inside ..
"SADC can no longer continue to stand by and do nothing when one of its members is experiencing political and economic difficulties," he said.
Mbeki, who advocates "quiet diplomacy" in Zimbabwe and last year led an unsuccessful SADC mediation attempt, seemed not to share the concern of Zambia and other neighboring countries.
Before the meeting he met Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, who is not attending the summit, in Harare.
"I wouldn't describe that as a crisis. It's a normal electoral process in Zimbabwe. We have to wait for ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) to release (the results)," Mbeki told reporters after meeting Mugabe for an hour.
The Movement for Democratic Change opposition won a parliamentary election on March 29 and says its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, also won a presidential poll on the same day.
But no results of that election have been released, stoking tension in Zimbabwe. Many Zimbabweans had hoped the vote would begin their recovery from economic collapse and the world's worst rate of hyper-inflation.
The MDC has gone to court to try to force the ZEC to release the results and a judge has promised a verdict for Monday.
Mugabe, aged 84 and in power since independence from Britain in 1980, said he was not snubbing the summit, which three government ministers will attend.
"He (Mbeki) is going to the summit, I'm not ... We're very good friends, very good brothers. But sometimes we also have other business that holds us back," Mugabe told reporters.
© Reuters 2008
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=03c4eabe-9126-48ac-9a52-a165357f4afe
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