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Mbeki does not see post-poll crisis in Zimbabwe
Southern African nations began an emergency summit on Zimbabwe's election deadlock on Saturday but South Africa's Thabo Mbeki said there was no crisis.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:14 April 13, 2008
Lusaka: Southern African nations began an emergency summit on Zimbabwe's election deadlock on Saturday but South Africa's Thabo Mbeki said there was no crisis.
Zambia, which called the meeting of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), expressed concern about the situation in its neighbouring country, where a long delay in issuing presidential poll results has raised fears of violence.
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe did not attend the summit.
"This summit should focus on helping Zimbabwe to find an answer that genuinely reflects the mood of the people," said SADC chairman and Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa in his opening remarks.
"SADC can no longer continue to stand by and do nothing when one of its members is experiencing political and economic difficulties."
President Mbeki, the most powerful leader at the summit, advocates "quiet diplomacy" and seemed not to share the regional and international concern over the impasse.
"I wouldn't describe that as a crisis. It's a normal electoral process in Zimbabwe. We have to wait for the electoral commission to release the results," Mbeki said.
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) 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 election results have been released. The MDC has gone to court and a judge has promised a verdict for tomorrow.
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