Rice Refutes Claims of US Support for Zimbabwean Opposition PartiesUS Assistant Secretary of State Susan Rice has denied claims that her country will offer support to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) or call for pressure against any political party in Zimbabwe.She was responding to an MDC statement after her meeting with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai last week that the United States had offered to support it to restore freedom and democracy in Zimbabwe as well as pressurize the government to ensure that there is law and order. In a statement on Saturday, the US Embassy in Harare said, "Assistant Secretary Susan Rice regrets that MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai has mischaracterised the substance of their discussion". "At no time did Rice express support for any particular political party nor did she call for pressure to be applied by or to any party," the statement said. Rice said the United States believes that the challenges facing Zimbabwe can be resolved through peaceful and democratic means, adding that the United States will continue to support the people of Zimbabwe. An official with Rice itinerary told the Sunday Mail last night that it was not true that she had refused to meet Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as has been suggested in some quarters. The official said because of the president's travel plans it was not possible to meet him. Rice understood the president's position and regretted that she could not call on him. President Mugabe had in fact told her that he could meet her on November 22 after his return from an official visit in Malaysia. But due to Rice's schedule, it will not be possible to call on the president on that day. Recently Tsvangirai had meetings with leaders of the Southern African region to try and influence them to support the move to impeach President Mugabe, but without any success. |
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