THE opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) on Thursday called for an urgent summit of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) to set the conditions for a run-off presidential election.
The MDC-T has criticised the 14 member southern African group of failing to provide leadership to end Zimbabwe's post-election violence.
MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti said a summit would allow Sadc to show that African institutions can solve African problems.
Biti was speaking in Johannesburg a day after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, by way of a government gazette, announced a more than two-month extension of the period within which an election run-off must be held.
The latest call by the MDC-T comes after a failed attempt by the opposition group, Britain and the US to include Zimbabwe on the United Nations Security Council’s agenda — a move which was blocked by South Africa which held the revolving presidency of the council at the time.
South Africa argued that the situation in Zimbabwe does not constitute a threat to the international peace and security.
The ‘triple alliance’ also called for an Extra-ordinary summit of the Sadc grouping last month which was approved by current Sadc chair President Levy Mwanawasa. The summit resolved to maintain President Mbeki as mediator.
It is now not clear whether Sadc will heed another call by the opposition MDC-T for another ‘extraordinary summit’ given the limited success of the April one.
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