Euro-parliament: Zimbabwe opposition should lead government

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A European Parliament committee called on Wednesday for Zimbabwe's opposition to lead a unity government and for EU states to tighten sanctions on President Robert Mugabe's government if it rejected mediation.

The development committee called in a resolution for stepped-up diplomatic pressure on Mugabe to end political violence and agree to mediation by the African Union, Southern African Development Community (SADC) and United Nations.

Officials said the resolution was expected to be adopted in July by the full parliament.

It called for the setting up of a transitional unity government led by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and including moderate elements of Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

This government should have a mandate "to stabilize the economy, resolve the humanitarian crisis and legislate a new democratic constitution and to create quickly conditions for free-and-fair presidential elections," the resolution said.

It called on the European Union to channel aid solely through international non-governmental organizations.

It also called on the Council of 27 European Union states to tighten sanctions against members of Mugabe's government and others responsible for grave rights violations if mediation efforts were rejected and violence was not ended.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom, edited by Richard Meares)