Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on Friday said the ZANU-PF headed by him will engage in talks with the opposition Movement for Democratic Changes (MDC) only after the opposition and its western allies accept the outcome of the June 27 presidential run-off.
Addressing thousands of party supporters who thronged the Harare International Airport to welcome him on his arrivals from the just ended African Union Summit in Egypt, Mugabe said another condition for the talks was the removal of illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe.
"I am the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe," Mugabe said, adding only the people of Zimbabwe who cast their vote last Friday and not Britain or America had the power to tell him how to run the country.
"This is a reality that everyone has to accept first before anyone can begin a dialogue with us. We are open to dialogue," he said.
He said the issue of the land was also a key factor to the talks as the reforms were not reversible. "If we agree on that and accept the June 27 vote then we can enter into dialogue and move forward together to rebuild our beloved country," Mugabe said.
Mugabe's comments come after Britain and America urged the international community to recognize the March 29 elections and not the June 27 run-off results.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai received a leading number of votes, immediately followed by Mugabe, in the March 29 presidential election.
Tsvangirai pulled out of the run-off just a few days before it was held, saying this is mainly because his supporters continued to be attacked by Mugabe's supporters.
Mugabe was sworn in Sunday for a new presidential term, immediately after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission declared that he was the winner of the de facto one-man race.
Then he went to Egypt to attend the African Union summit, which adopted a resolution supporting the creation of a unity government in Zimbabwe through dialogue.
The resolution encouraged both sides to live up to pledges to start dialogue to promote peace and stability.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article