Russia, China veto US-drafted resolution on Zimbabwe

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-12 09:59

"By attempting to coerce Zimbabwe into a certain form of behavior through the force of sanctions and isolation, the West has actually created an aggrieved nation," Chidyausiku said.

South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo said the recent African Union Summit did not call for sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Instead, the summit "appealed to states and all parties concerned to refrain from any action that may negatively impact on the climate for dialogue," Kumalo said.

Those voting for the sanctions, however, including United Kingdom ambassador John Sawers, denied that it was an attempt to undermine the current negotiations.

"We have supported (South African) President Mbeki's mediation efforts, but we have to be realistic; those efforts have so far come to naught," Sawers said.

US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad expressed his disappointment at the veto of the draft resolution which would give "Mr. Mugabe an incentive to negotiate seriously."

The draft resolution also demands that the Zimbabwean government "begin without delay a substantive dialogue between the parties with the aim of arriving at a peaceful solution that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people and respect the results " of the first round presidential elections held on March 29.

Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round but did not take 50 percent of the vote that would be required to avoid a run-off, which Tsvangirai later decided not to take part, citing violence against his supporters.

Mugabe succeeded in the June 27 vote with an overwhelming majority and then was sworn in as president.

Immediately after the disputed vote, the Security Council passed a nonbinding statement saying that the conditions for free and fair elections did not exist.

With the help of the AU and SADC, the Zimbabwean government and opposition officials met for the first time in South Africa on Thursday to try to find a way out of their country's political crisis.

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