Mugabe holds talks with UN envoy

A United Nations envoy has met with Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe to discuss the upcoming presidential election run-off.

The visit of Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios is the first by a senior UN official to Zimbabwe for three years.

It comes at a time of growing international pressure on Mr Mugabe over the June 27 vote.

Opposion leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Western critics of the veteran leader and human right groups accuse Mr Mugabe of orchestrating a violent campaign to intimidate Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters and leaders ahead of the election.

Mr Tsvangirai won a first round in March, but without enough votes to secure an outright victory, official results showed.

Mr Mugabe has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980 and is fighting to keep power amid a desperate economic crisis that has brought hyperinflation and food shortages and has driven millions of Zimbabweans to seek work abroad.

Mr Tsvangirai has been repeatedly detained and released during the election campaign. The MDC says at least 66 opposition activists have been killed by militia from Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF since the March elections.

Mr Mugabe blames the opposition for the violence.

Namibia's prime minister voiced concern at conditions in Zimbabwe and said southern African countries would double the number of observers monitoring the run-off from those who followed the first round vote.

"There should be observers everywhere in Zimbabwe," prime minister Nahas Angula said. "We are doing all this in hope that the presence of observers will somehow prevent political violence to take place."

Britain and the US urged Mr Mugabe this week to allow a broader international observer mission. Monitors from countries critical of Zimbawe's president have been banned from observing the election.

On Monday, Mr Mugabe threatened to arrest MDC leaders over the violence, and has vowed the opposition party will never rule Zimbabwe.

He has said his supporters are ready to take up arms to prevent Zimbabwe from falling under the control of the country's white minority and Western powers.

A government minister dismissed speculation the election might be cancelled to avoid the risk of Mr Tsvangirai winning.

Meanwhile, lawyers for detained MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti asked a court to release him unconditionally after police failed to bring him to court to face a treason charge. Mr Biti was arrested at Harare airport on Thursday as he returned home.

Police said they were holding Mr Biti for announcing the results of the March 29 general elections prematurely. He faces a possible death penalty if convicted of the treason charge.

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