DATE=5/15/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=ZIMBABWE / CRISIS (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-262387
BYLINE=PETA THORNYCROFT
DATELINE=HARARE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Several foreign officials are visiting
Zimbabwe, voicing hopes that the country's coming
parliamentary elections will be free and fair. As
Peta Thornycroft reports from Harare, the elections
are to be held June 24th and 25th.
TEXT: The secretary-general of the Commonwealth group
of nations, Don McKinnon, is discussing the situation
with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and other
government officials as well as with members of
opposition parties.
Mr. McKinnon is in Zimbabwe following the crisis
created by the occupation of white-owned commercial
farms and increasing political violence. He says he
hopes his discussions would center on the future and
the upcoming elections, and he hopes the talks would
contribute to a free and fair vote.
The E-U senior representative in southern Africa,
Roger Moore, also is visiting Zimbabwe. He says he
doubts if the elections can be free and fair. He says
everyone he meets who has been to Zimbabwe comes away
with the conclusion that this is not possible.
Mr. Moore says the European Union has provided money
for the deployment of more than one-thousand monitors
who will begin work soon.
The secretary general of South Africa's ruling African
National Congress party, Kgalema Molanthe, also has
been to Zimbabwe for talks with the Zimbabwe
government and with the main opposition party, the
Movement for Democratic Change.
Mr. Molanthe said that during his talks, the two
Zimbabwean political parties agreed the ongoing land
crisis should be settled on the basis of an agreement
made two-years ago between President Mugabe's
government and the commercial farmers. He said the A-
N-C remains concerned about the situation in Zimbabwe
and urges all political hopefuls to ensure the
elections are free and fair.
During the past two months, government supporters have
occupied more than one-quarter of Zimbabwe's white-
owned and productive commercial farms. The
occupations turned violent and at least 19-people have
been killed, most of them opposition supporters.
Government supporters also have intimidated hundreds
of teachers and thousands of workers on the commercial
farms. (SIGNED)
NEB/PT/JWH/RAE
15-May-2000 13:59 PM EDT (15-May-2000 1759 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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