Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Zuma urges Africa to unlock Zim 'logjam'

BERLIN (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling party leader Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday the delay to Zimbabwe's election results was not acceptable and called on African leaders to take action to solve the post-poll deadlock.

"It's not acceptable," Zuma told Reuters in an interview in Berlin. "It's not helping the Zimbabwean people who have gone out to... elect the kind of party and presidential candidate they want, exercising their constitutional right."

Zimbabwe held elections on March 29, but no result has been announced from the presidential ballot in which the opposition says it defeated veteran President Robert Mugabe. There has also been a delay to a partial recount of votes from the parallel parliamentary vote, in which the ruling party lost its majority.

"At this point in time...I imagine that the leaders in Africa should really move in to unlock this logjam," African National Congress leader Zuma said. "Concretely this means African countries should identify some people to go in there, probably talk to both parties, call them and ask them what the problem is, as well as the electoral commission," Zuma said.

Source: Reuters

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