afrol News, 10 April - Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change on Thursday said Morgan Tsvangirai would not contest against incumbent Robert Mugabe in the planned president poll run-off.

"We will not participate in a re-run of elections because we won that election hands down without a need for a re-run," the MC Secretary General Tendai Biti told a press conference.

Zimbabwean voters have been denied access to the results of the 29 March presidential polls. The electoral commission would not publish the results, amid local and international outcry.

But Biti maintained his party's victory, which was why the party did not want a re-run.

"We won the presidential election hands down, without the need for a run-off, so we will not participate in a run-off."

Zimbabwe's political deadlock has concerned the Southern African Development Community. The chair of the 14-member regional grouping, President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia, called for an a crisis meeting on the Zimbabwe's political crisis.

Both Mugabe and Tsvangirai have been invited to attend the emergency summit scheduled to take place in the capital, Lusaka.

The MDC leader has been crisscrossing the region galvanising support from SADC presidents and government. Tsvangirai wanted regional leaders to pressurise the government to declare the results public and prevent Zimbabwe from troubles.

Mr Tsvangirai accused Mr Mugabe of unnecessarily delaying the poll results. He said the
government has planne to declare victory for the Zimbabwean leader during a re-run.

Zimbabwean police detained scores of electoral officers, accusing them of voter malpractices in favour of the opposition. Mr Mugabe's ruing Zanu-PF has demanded a recount of the presidential votes.

The High Court is expected to a petition filed by the MDC, demanding the immediate release of the results on Monday.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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