Zimbabwe's opposition leader left his refuge at the Dutch Embassy on Wednesday, three days after fleeing to the building out of fear for his safety. -
Morgan Tsvangirai looked relaxed as he addressed reporters at his home in the capital of Harare, repeating his assertion that the presidential runoff election scheduled for Friday will not be free or fair.
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He pulled out of the race on Sunday, saying scores of his supporters have been attacked and killed in recent weeks by police, soldiers and militant members of the ruling party.
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Tsvangirai sought refuge at the embassy on Sunday after getting a tip soldiers were headed to his home.
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Meanwhile Wednesday, opposition officials said police raided one of their provincial offices. The Movement for Democratic Change party has already been coping with arrests of key members, including the party's second in command, who is jailed on treason charges.
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In a sign of growing condemnation of Zimbabwe's political situation, U.S. officials told BBC News Wednesday that they will not recognize the outcome of Friday's vote.
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South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress, issued a strongly worded statement Tuesday calling on Mugabe's government to stop "riding roughshod" over the opposition party headed by Tsvangirai.
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The UN Security Council, meanwhile, unanimously voted Monday to condemn violence against the opposition and denounce the run-off election as unfair. South Africa, China and Russia, which have all previously blocked such efforts, voted in favour of the motion.
World can 'shout as long as they like': Mugabe
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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is continuing to defend the run-off election, saying the world can "shout as loud as they like," but he won't bow to international pressure to call off the race.
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Mugabe, 84, kicked a soccer ball around on Tuesday in front of thousands of supporters and declared he would not back down.
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"We will proceed with our election, the verdict is our verdict. Other people can say what they want, but the elections are ours. We are a sovereign state, and that is it," Mugabe said.
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"Those who will want to recognize us on the basis of objectivity will do so. Those who don't, keep your judgment to yourselves. Our people are going to vote, and that vote will decide whether we have won or lost.
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"They can shout as loud as they like from Washington or from London, or from any other quarter. Our people, only our people, will decide, and no one else," the Zimbabwean leader said.
80-year-old father beaten
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The opposition said Tuesday that the chairwoman of one of its provincial branches was the latest victim of violence. The MDC alleges she was attacked and seriously injured by Mugabe loyalists in a northern region that has seen some of the worst violence.
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The party also said the rural home of its national organizing secretary was attacked Tuesday by Mugabe loyalists in military uniform. The party said the official's 80-year-old father was beaten and two other relatives were shot in the legs.
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Regional heads of state were meeting Wednesday in Swaziland to discuss solutions for Zimbabwe, but South African President Thabo Mbeki, a mediator in the dispute, will not attend.
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Mbeki has refused to publicly denounce Mugabe even as other African leaders step up their criticism, saying confrontation could backfire. Mediation efforts appear aimed at bringing Mugabe and Tsvangirai together in a coalition government.