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Mugabe says open to negotiations after election: state media

AFP - Wednesday, June 25

HARARE (AFP) - - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe said he is open to negotiations after this week's runoff presidential election, state media reported Wednesday.

"We are open, open to discussion, but we have our own principles," The Herald newspaper quoted Mugabe as saying at two rallies on Tuesday.

"If they (the opposition) have problems they can always bring them forward."

The government mouthpiece said Mugabe indicated talks would occur only after Friday's presidential runoff vote.

Mugabe also warned that the country would resist outside interference in its affairs.

"The verdict is ours as the people of Zimbabwe," he declared. "They can shout as loud as they want from Washington and London but our people will deliver the final verdict."

The paper said Mugabe expressed surprise that some African countries "do not appreciate the difficulties" that targeted sanctions had caused Zimbabwe.

"Not a single country has been bold enough to say that the illegal sanctions by the West should be lifted or tell them not to interfere in our internal affairs."

He added: "If we can allow that to happen then as Africa we are not yet independent."

Meanwhile, Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called for world leaders to back their tough rhetoric with "military force" in his country, in a comment piece published Wednesday.

Tsvangirai wrote in The Guardian newspaper that the United Nations had to go further than verbal condemnation of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and move on to "active isolation" which required "a force to protect the people."

But Australia Wednesday played down the prospect of military intervention in Zimbabwe, instead urging southern African nations to put pressure on Mugabe to step down.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Australia would consider expanding its sanctions against Harare and called on Zimbabwe's neighbours to do the same, saying Mugabe had "no electoral or democratic legitimacy whatsoever".

"I don't think it helps in any way for Australia to be talking in terms of military intervention," Smith told reporters.

"The international community is not talking in terms of military intervention. I don't think that is a helpful contribution."

Also Wednesday a spokesman for South African President Thabo Mbeki said the president has not been invited to a meeting of regional leaders Wednesday in Swaziland to discuss Zimbabwe and will not be attending.

"No, he is not attending, this is a meeting of the SADC (South African Development Community) troika. President Mbeki is not a member of the troika. President Mbeki has not been invited to the meeting," spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga said.

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