The world's most powerful industrialized countries denounced Zimbabwe's election as a sham yesterday as the United States threatened to push for UN sanctions against Robert Mugabe's government.
The condemnation of the single-candidate presidential election came at a meeting of foreign ministers from the G8 - the US, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Japan.
Criticizing the Zimbabwean government's actions, the group said: "We will not accept the legitimacy of any government that does not reflect the will of the Zimbabwean people."
Earlier this week the security council issued an equally damning statement, reflecting a high degree of consensus in the international community that yesterday's vote was not legitimate.
Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, indicated that the US was prepared to push the security council further. "Those operating in Zimbabwe should know that there are those ... who believe that the security council should consider sanctions," she said. "We intend to bring up the issue of Zimbabwe in the council. We will see what the council decides to do."
But a parallel meeting of African foreign ministers in Egypt was unable to agree a common stance. Jean Ping, the African Union's executive chairman, avoided mentioning Zimbabwe in a survey of the continent's problems. Ping alluded only indirectly to the crisis, saying: "We will engage in a deep reflection on the general problem of elections on this continent."
African reaction is likely to be critical in determining how long Mugabe can survive in office in the face of outrage in the rest of the world over the regime's treatment of the opposition. Ministers from across Africa meeting at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik were split between those who wanted to condemn the vote as a sham and those unwilling to criticize the Mugabe government.
Several of Zimbabwe's neighbors in the Southern African Development Community have denounced the election campaign and called for the vote to be put off. But South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, has so far shielded Mugabe from punitive measures and it was clear yesterday there were other African countries, particularly those without genuine democratic institutions, which are reluctant to condemn the vote.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Egypt's foreign minister told Associated Press Television: "Egypt will not prejudge the results of the elections or the results of the deliberations."
The decisive moment at the AU summit is likely to come at Monday's session, which Mugabe has said he will attend to challenge his accusers among his fellow African leaders.
"I would like some African leaders who are making these statements to point at me and we would see if those fingers would be cleaner than mine," he said in remarks printed yesterday from an election-eve rally. "When I go to the AU meeting next week, I am going to challenge some leaders to point out when we have had worse elections."
According to reports circulating in diplomatic circles yesterday, Mugabe's joint operations command was planning to form a "government of national unity" after the election by offering personal incentives to breakaway members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and persecuting those that refuse. The new government would then be recognized by Mbeki and a few other heads of state in an attempt to create momentum behind it.
But most, if not all, the G8 and permanent security council members are expected to deny recognition to any government led by Mugabe following an unopposed vote and a sustained campaign of government-backed violence.
List of earthquakes in Japan
For the 11 March 2011 earthquake in the Tōhoku region, see 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. This is a list of earthquakes in Japan with a magnitude of ...
The condemnation of the single-candidate presidential election came at a meeting of foreign ministers from the G8 - the US, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Japan.
Criticizing the Zimbabwean government's actions, the group said: "We will not accept the legitimacy of any government that does not reflect the will of the Zimbabwean people."
Earlier this week the security council issued an equally damning statement, reflecting a high degree of consensus in the international community that yesterday's vote was not legitimate.
Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, indicated that the US was prepared to push the security council further. "Those operating in Zimbabwe should know that there are those ... who believe that the security council should consider sanctions," she said. "We intend to bring up the issue of Zimbabwe in the council. We will see what the council decides to do."
But a parallel meeting of African foreign ministers in Egypt was unable to agree a common stance. Jean Ping, the African Union's executive chairman, avoided mentioning Zimbabwe in a survey of the continent's problems. Ping alluded only indirectly to the crisis, saying: "We will engage in a deep reflection on the general problem of elections on this continent."
African reaction is likely to be critical in determining how long Mugabe can survive in office in the face of outrage in the rest of the world over the regime's treatment of the opposition. Ministers from across Africa meeting at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik were split between those who wanted to condemn the vote as a sham and those unwilling to criticize the Mugabe government.
Several of Zimbabwe's neighbors in the Southern African Development Community have denounced the election campaign and called for the vote to be put off. But South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, has so far shielded Mugabe from punitive measures and it was clear yesterday there were other African countries, particularly those without genuine democratic institutions, which are reluctant to condemn the vote.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Egypt's foreign minister told Associated Press Television: "Egypt will not prejudge the results of the elections or the results of the deliberations."
The decisive moment at the AU summit is likely to come at Monday's session, which Mugabe has said he will attend to challenge his accusers among his fellow African leaders.
"I would like some African leaders who are making these statements to point at me and we would see if those fingers would be cleaner than mine," he said in remarks printed yesterday from an election-eve rally. "When I go to the AU meeting next week, I am going to challenge some leaders to point out when we have had worse elections."
According to reports circulating in diplomatic circles yesterday, Mugabe's joint operations command was planning to form a "government of national unity" after the election by offering personal incentives to breakaway members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and persecuting those that refuse. The new government would then be recognized by Mbeki and a few other heads of state in an attempt to create momentum behind it.
But most, if not all, the G8 and permanent security council members are expected to deny recognition to any government led by Mugabe following an unopposed vote and a sustained campaign of government-backed violence.
List of earthquakes in Japan
For the 11 March 2011 earthquake in the Tōhoku region, see 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. This is a list of earthquakes in Japan with a magnitude of ...
