Zimbabwe condemnation expected at G8: White House

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - Leaders of the Group of Eight rich nations meeting in northern Japan this week will condemn the government of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, a White House official said on Saturday.

Mugabe has been defiant despite growing international condemnation of a June 27 runoff presidential election, in which he was the only candidate after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out, citing state-sponsored violence.

Dennis Wilder, a senior National Security Council official, said Zimbabwe was sure to come up when Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Canada and the United States meet July 7-9 on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

"I think the G8 will strongly condemn what Mugabe has done. It will strongly condemn the legitimacy of his government and his governing of Zimbabwe," Wilder told reporters aboard Air Force One as President George W. Bush was on his way to Japan for the summit.

The G8 leaders, meeting at a luxury hotel in the lakeside resort of Toyako, will be joined by the heads of seven African states and major economies including China and India.

(Reporting Tabassum Zakaria, writing by Sandra Maler, editing by Todd Eastham)