EU's Solana says Zimbabwe election not legitimate

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's foreign policy chief said on Friday said the presidential election in Zimbabwe was invalid and called on its African neighbors to "draw the necessary conclusions".

President Robert Mugabe decided to press on with the vote despite the withdrawal of his main opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai, citing intimidation.

"The people of Zimbabwe have been deprived of their right to vote freely and thus deprived of their dignity," Javier Solana said in a statement.

The deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe posed a threat to regional stability, he said.

"I trust that the relevant African authorities (the Southern African Development Community and the African Union) will draw the necessary conclusions, in the interests not only of Zimbabwe but of the whole of Africa," Solana said.

He echoed comments earlier on Friday from the EU's executive European Commission that the election was not legitimate.

(Reporting by Huw Jones)