Arrest of Zimbabwe politicians "deplorable": Bush

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush condemned violence in Zimbabwe and attempts to intimidate opposition figures as "deplorable" on Monday and said election and human rights monitors should "blanket the country."

"The continued use of government-sponsored violence in Zimbabwe, including unwarranted arrests and intimidation of opposition figures, to prevent the Movement for Democratic Change from campaigning freely ahead of the June 27 presidential runoff election is deplorable," he said in a statement.

Over the weekend, police arrested Arthur Mutambara, leader of a breakaway faction of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, and Eric Matinenga, an opposition parliamentarian and lawyer to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

"It's troubling, it's disturbing and it is a part of a continuing pattern on behalf of ZANU-PF (the ruling party) to try to intimidate those who would like to speak up with views different than those held by the government," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

Tsvangirai won a March 29 ballot against President Robert Mugabe, who has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980, but not by a big enough margin to avoid a second round of voting.

Bush urged the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, the United Nations, and other groups to immediately send election and human rights monitors to the country.

The MDC says more than 50 people have been killed in election-related attacks since March and blames elements within ZANU-PF for the deaths. Mugabe's officials say MDC supporters are responsible.

The opposition and human rights groups also accuse 84-year-old Mugabe and his supporters of trying to intimidate opponents and fear the president will seek to rig the run-off poll.

McCormack said it was incumbent upon the United States and others to apply as much "positive pressure and leverage" as possible to ensure a free and fair run-off poll. He did not elaborate on what that pressure might entail.

Mugabe, for his part, has accused the United States of political interference in the electoral process in Zimbabwe and has threatened to expel U.S. Ambassador James McGee.

Asked whether the United States had made plans for McGee's possible expulsion, McCormack said: "We have a whole embassy of people who are focused on issues, either all or in part, on issues related to this election and who have continued to speak out and continue to be a voice and beacon for freedom."

Bush also said he was concerned about reports that Mugabe's policies would result in one of the worst crop harvests in Zimbabwe's history and he criticized his participation in a summit in Rome aimed at addressing the global food crisis.

"While Robert Mugabe makes political statements in Rome, his people continue to face empty markets at home," Bush said.

(Reporting by Sue Pleming and Jeremy Pelofsky; Editing by Eric Beech and Cynthia Osterman)