Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party has called for joint investigations with the opposition into post-election violence that has raised tension ahead of a run-off presidential poll, a state-run paper said today.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has accused President Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF of intimidating and attacking its supporters as part of efforts to rig the second round vote, which is due to take place by the end of July - some four months after a disputed general election.
The government denies the charges and accuses the MDC of instigating the violence, in which the opposition says 33 of its supporters have been killed.
The state-controlled Herald daily said ZANU-PF "condemned acts of violence in the countryside and urged law enforcement agents to arrest anyone found perpetuating violence".
Justice minister and ZANU-PF spokesman Patrick Chinamasa told the paper, "We are advocating for joint MDC and ZANU-PF teams to investigate any claims of violence."
"We are interested in the truth, whether it hurts us or not. If facts show it's MDC or ZANU-PF, the perpetrators must be arrested. The judiciary must deal with any case with the seriousness it deserves. There should be no easy bail."
Zimbabwe's government announced on Wednesday it was delaying the run-off presidential poll due this month until as late as the end of July, prompting the opposition to say Mugabe was trying to buy time for a crackdown.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been abroad since shortly after the vote to seek regional support, said on Wednesday he would return home and kick off his run-off campaign in Zimbabwe's second city of Bulawayo on Sunday.