Mugabe 'stole election'

The EU will discuss sanctions against Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party "stole" the presidential elections and should realise that the "game is up", Foreign Secretary Jack Straw insisted on Friday.

"Robert Mugabe thought he could cheat his way to power and no-one would notice or that he would get away with it," he said.

They have been found out

Jack Straw
Foreign Secretary

Mr Straw was speaking ahead of a European summit in Barcelona, where Prime Minister Tony Blair and 14 European Union leaders are expected to press for sanctions against the Zanu-PF government to be strengthened.

"What I hope is that Robert Mugabe will know and particularly the wiser councils inside Zanu-PF will also recognise that they have been found out, that the game is up," said Mr Straw.

Election stolen

He stressed: "He has been profoundly shocked that not just the white West but black Africa, in the form of the southern African development community, parliamentarians and the Commonwealth observer mission, has condemned his cheating.

"[They have] condemned the fact that he has stolen the election which wholly weakens his legitimacy not only with the wider international community but also in Africa.

"So I hope very much he is coming under the most intense pressure from the people who have the greatest ability to put him under pressure, namely his African neighbours."

Last month Europe imposed personal sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and his ruling elite, a move that will be considered by the Barcelona summit.

Mr Straw said: "We certainly will be looking at whether they can be strengthened and how.

Straw: Mugabe has been shocked by condemnations

"That will then be a matter for decision at a foreign ministers council that will take place in two or three weeks time."

He added: "There is widespread condemnation of the way Mugabe stole this election".

While the EU would continue with humanitarian aid for Zimbabwe, member states were not prepared to "bail out" the country's government, he said.

South African President Thabo Mbeki, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and Australian Prime Minister John Howard have been tasked by the Commonwealth to decide what action to take against Zimbabwe.

They will meet in London on Tuesday for initial discussions.

Mr Howard said on Friday: "I guess there will be a range of views. I don't want to at this stage pre-empt that discussion by saying publicly what my view is."

But he added: "The report that I have read is critical, very critical of the election process."

In Harare on Thursday, a Commonwealth observer team said the elections were so badly flawed that the results did not seem to express the will of the people of Zimbabwe.