Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe threatened today to arrest opposition leaders over election campaign violence for which his opponents blame ruling party supporters.
Branding Zimbabwe's government a "criminal regime", British Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined US President George W. Bush today in urging Mr Mugabe to allow international monitors to ensure a free and fair presidential run-off election on June 27th.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has been repeatedly detained during his campaign, but has faced no charges. His Movement for Democratic Change party says 66 people have been killed in the election violence by ruling Zanu-PF supporters.
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Mr Mugabe blames the opposition for the disturbances. "There is now a pattern readable across the country and that has now to stop," he told a campaign rally in Kadoma, 150 km south of capital Harare.
"We are warning them that we will not hesitate to arrest them, and we will do that in broad daylight. They think they are protected by the British and the Americans. The law of the country has to be observed."
Mr Mugabe is battling to keep his 28-year hold on power in a country suffering economic collapse. Mr Tsvangirai won the first poll in March but without enough votes for an outright victory, official results show.
At a joint news conference in London after talks with US President George W. Bush, the British prime minister described Zimbabwe's government as an "increasingly desperate and criminal regime" and accused it of orchestrating the violence.
"Mugabe must not be allowed to steal the election," he said.
"We call for Zimbabwe to accept a United Nations human rights envoy to visit Zimbabwe now and to accept international monitors from all parts of the world who are available to ensure that this is a free and fair election," Mr Brown said.
Britain has long been critical of Mr Mugabe but has increased the harshness of its language in recent days.
Mr Bush offered his support to Mr Brown's call. "We will work with you to ensure these good folks have free and fair elections to the best extent possible, which obviously Mr Mugabe does not want to have," he said.
Mr Mugabe (84), has held power since independence from Britain in 1980. His Zanu-PF lost control of parliament in the March 29th election, but the president has the greatest say in running the country.
Critics say the economy has been ruined by Mr Mugabe's policies, such as seizing white-owned farms to give to landless blacks. He says Western sanctions are responsible.
Zimbabwe's once prosperous economy has collapsed, with official inflation running at 165,000 per cent, unemployment at around 80 per cent and food and fuel in short supply.
Millions of Zimbabweans have sought work abroad, most heading to South Africa, where their presence has stoked social tensions.
Mr Mugabe ordered aid agencies to stop work earlier this month, accusing them of working against his ZANU-PF party.