Interesting to read the divergent responses to the MDC's decision. Zambia's Mwanawasa had already advocated for the runoff to be delayed. While South Africa's Mbeki, through his spokesperson, Mukoni Ratshitanga, is quoted below from Shaw's article as having hoped to keep Tsvangirai and the MDC "to continue to play a role in the normalization of the political process in Zimbabwe." How exactly is withstanding so much political violence and getting little response from South Africa "normalization of the political process". The South African position on Mugabe's rule has been off the mark for eight years now. It will be interesting to see how the will continue to defend Mugabe while the world is watching the killings and torture in the country today.
"Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa said Sunday that the runoff must be postponed. Mwanawasa, who currently holds the rotating chair of the Southern African Development Community and has long been among Mugabe's most outspoken critics in the region, said Zimbabwe had failed to meet minimum election standards.
He voiced particular frustration that he had been unable to reach South African President Thabo Mbeki, the region's designated mediator in the Zimbabwe crisis, and criticized Mbeki for not sharing information.
Mbeki is increasingly isolated both abroad at at home for his appeasement of Mugabe and his refusal to flex South Africa's economic muscle against his neighbor.
Mbeki's spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga said Tsvangirai had called Mbeki earlier Sunday to inform him he was withdrawing.
"Of course we would like to encourage the MDC to continue to play a role in the normalization of the political process in Zimbabwe. And we are encouraged that Mr. Tsvangirai says he is not closing the door completely on negotiations," said Ratshitanga." Agnus Shaw, Zimbabwe opposition leader pulling out of election. June 22, 2008.
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