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US denounces Zimbabwe's upcoming elections

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-26 14:39

WASHINGTON - US President George W. Bush said Wednesday Zimbabwe's planned presidential run-off election on Friday "appear to be a sham" and urged the African Union (AU) to increase pressure on the Zimbabwean government.

"Friday's elections, you know, appear to be a sham," Bush said during a meeting with UN Security Council permanent representatives.

"You can't have free elections if a candidate is not allowed to campaign freely and his supporters aren't allowed to campaign without fear of intimidation," Bush said.

"I hope that the AU will, at their meeting this weekend, continue to highlight the illegitimacy of the elections, continue to remind the world that this election is not free and it's not fair," Bush added.

The AU is expected to hold a summit in Egypt from June 30 to July 1.

The United States has warned Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe not to go ahead with the presidential run-off vote on June 27 and not to declare himself as re-elected president.

Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai announced on Sunday that he had withdrawn form the country's scheduled presidential run-off on June 27. Tsvangirai cited mounting violence and intimidation against his party as major reasons for him to quit the run-off.