Zimbabwe's MDC rejects runoff delay, rally banned

By Nelson Banya

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's main opposition party on Thursday rejected a delay in a run-off election which could unseat President Robert Mugabe, and called for an urgent meeting of countries in the region to avoid "rivers of dead people".

Zimbabwe's electoral commission said on Wednesday the presidential run-off could be delayed until the end of July -- four months after the disputed March 29 elections. The date would be announced on Friday, state television said.

Authorities banned a rally on Sunday at which opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai was to open his campaign for the run-off, the MDC said.

A statement from the MDC said the delay in the run-off "demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that the regime in Harare does not intend to surrender power and will do anything legally and extra-legally to hold onto the same".

"We would like to express our great outrage at that disregard of Zimbabwe's laws and the people's will," MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti told reporters in South Africa.

Biti said his party insisted on a run-off by May 23, in line with laws which say the vote must be held within 21 days of the election results, which were announced on May 2.

But he stopped short of saying Tsvangirai would only participate if the timeline was upheld.

Zimbabwean police prohibited the MDC's rally on Sunday in Zimbabwe's second city Bulawayo at which Tsvangirai planned to launch his run-off campaign. Tsvangirai left Zimbabwe over a month ago and has been touring the region to garner support.

"They wrote to us saying 'you can't proceed with the rally'. They can't give a reason. Our lawyers are seeking an order to stop police from interfering with our rally," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said.

U.S. CONDEMNATION

The United States condemned the ban on the rally.

"It is consistent with their past behavior to try to thwart the activities of the opposition parties and it does not ... portend well for proper conditions for a free and fair electoral run," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

The MDC accuses the government of intimidating and attacking its supporters in an effort to rig the second round vote.

The government denies the charges and accuses the MDC of instigating the violence, in which the opposition says 40 of its supporters have been killed.

Biti said the SADC group of southern African nations "needs to act now before there are rivers of dead people".