Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe's top opposition politician, says he will return to his country and contest a presidential runoff election against President Robert Mugabe.
"I am ready, the people are ready," he told reporters Saturday in Pretoria, South Africa. "I intend to return as shortly as possible and intend to begin a victory tour."
Tsvangirai has previously said that he won the March 29 elections outright and that a runoff wouldn't be necessary.
Independent observers say that Tsvangirai fell just short of passing the 50 per cent-plus-one threshold that would have pushed Mugabe from power after 28 years.
Mugabe's ZANU-PF lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1980.
Since that March 29 vote, a campaign of violence has been carried out against opposition supporters and leaders by Mugabe's backers.
Many question whether a runoff election could possibly be fair, given the atmosphere of intimidation in Zimbabwe.
Tsvangirai has said he would only participate if:
- International observers and media get full access to monitor the vote;
- The country's electoral commission is revamped; and
- Peacekeepers are sent to instill public confidence.
The government has essentially rejected those demands. In the March 29 vote, Mugabe barred most international observers.
Official election results were finally released May 2, and the runoff should take place within 21 days of that date. However, the electoral commission can extend that date.
Besides the political turmoil, Zimbabwe is an economic basket case.
The country suffers from food and fuel shortages, unemployment is 80 per cent, inflation is 165,000 per cent and millions of refugees have fled to neighbouring countries.
With files from The Associated Press
