People inside and outside of Zimbabwe must reject Robert Mugabe’s attempt to declare himself the nation’s legitimate ruler after a sham run-off election scheduled for Friday.
Challenger Morgan Tsvangirai, of the Movement for Democratic Change, withdrew from the race because of murders and the intimidation of his supporters by militia allied with Mugabe.
The tyrant has defied calls by the international community to postpone the election.
Mugabe, who gained fewer votes than Tsvangirai in an election on March 29, clearly plans to declare himself the winner of Friday’s run-off.
The British and American governments have properly said they would not recognize Mugabe as Zimbabwe’s legitimate president in the wake of a sham election.
That position must be backed up by regional bodies, including the Southern African Development Community and the African Union.
The U.N. Security Council waited until this week to condemn the violence. Its unanimous statement called on Mugabe to free political prisoners and allow the opposition to hold rallies — a belated demand, especially given Tsvangirai’s decision to pull out.
South Africa, which is positioned to exert considerable influence, has taken a destructive hands-off approach. Its president, Thabo Mbeki, refused to attend a meeting of the Southern African Development Community on Wednesday.
With world attention drawn to the political and humanitarian crises in Zimbabwe, the United Nations and other groups must push for an end to Mugabe’s illegitimate rule and brutality against citizens.
The dictator must be pressured to accept a political settlement that sets up a transitional government to pave the way for a fair and free election.
