Former Malawi President Condemns Violence And Pledges to Assist Zimbabweans

Doctor Bakili Muluzi, the former president of Malawi and currently the National Chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF), has added his voice to the long list of foreign and African leaders who have condemned the situation in Zimbabwe.

Speaking to more than 2000 delegates at the party's convention in Chichiri, Blantyre, Dr. Muluzi criticized the delay in releasing presidential results. He pledged to join hands with the international community and help to fight for democracy in Zimbabwe.

According to our correspondent Simon Muchemwa, who attended the UDF Convention, Muluzi told the delegates that he had the people of Zimbabwe at heart and would lobby for sanity in the country. Muchemwa said the UDF members generally do not support the policies of the Mugabe regime, and have always sympathised with the people of Zimbabwe. The UDF are not the ruling party but they can influence other African leaders and political parties because they have the majority grassroots support in Malawi.

Muchemwa said Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika is a supporter of the Mugabe regime. With his late wife Ethel, who was a Zimbabwean, Mutharika forged close alliances with the government of Zimbabwe and cooperated on economic and security issues. He was elected into office as a UDF candidate but he broke off and formed his own Democratic People's Party. Mutharika has imposed himself as the party's candidate in elections due next year. But Muluzi on the other hand has invited foreign observers to monitor the UDF primary elections. He told delegates he mourns the death of democracy in Zimbabwe.

Our correspondent said Malawian newspapers carry reports on Zimbabwe daily as many people have relatives working or living in Zimbabwe. They understand the crisis that has been created by the government of Robert Mugabe and do not support the violence against ordinary citizens.

Meanwhile Jacob Zuma, leader of the African National Congress party in South Africa, has been on a visit to London where he met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Zuma insisted that now is not the time to consider negotiating a unity government in Zimbabwe. The idea was proposed in the state-controlled newspaper The Herald on Wednesday, but Zuma said the international community should remain focused on publication of results from the presidential poll and the ongoing recounts in 23 constituencies.