Elder statesmen say Zimbabwe vote illegitimate

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - International elder statesmen, including three Nobel Peace Prize winners, urged the African Union on Monday to declare Zimbabwe's run-off vote illegitimate and called for a transitional government and new elections.

The African Union, meeting in Sharm el-Shiek in Egypt, is expected to address the re-election of President Robert Mugabe in Friday's one-candidate vote that has been widely condemned as unfair and violent.

"As leaders gather for the African Union summit ... we ask that they clearly state that the results of the June 27 elections in Zimbabwe are illegitimate -- for they occurred under the cloud of targeted political violence, precipitating the withdrawal of one of the two candidates," the group, known as The Elders said in a statement.

The AU should appoint a special envoy to mediate an end to the crisis, create a transitional government and prepare for free and fair elections.

Opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the poll a week ago, citing violence and intimidation.

"The crisis in Zimbabwe affects all Africans. And the fate of all Zimbabweans is on our conscience. The African Union has a commitment to good governance, justice, respect for human rights and the rule of law," the group said.

The Elders, launched by anti-apartheid icon and former South African leader Nelson Mandela, includes former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu and former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

(Reporting by Gordon Bell)