HARARE (Sapa-AFP) - A senior UN official on Wednesday met with Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who expressed concerns over violence ahead of next week's presidential run-off, a party spokesman said.
Haile Menkerios, the UN assistant secretary general for political affairs responsible for Africa, is visiting Zimbabwe to assess the situation ahead of the June 27 vote. He met President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday.
Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said Wednesday's hour-long meeting with Menkerios was held at UN offices.
Tsvangirai, Chamisa and the party's secretary for international relations Elphus Mukonoweshuro attended, along with the UN resident representative Augustino Zacarias and his deputy.
"We indicated our concerns and position on the political environment ahead of the run-off election," Chamisa said.
"We highlighted issues like the blackout of the MDC from the public media, the banning of our rallies and the obstruction of Mr Tsvangirai's campaign.
"We also expressed our concern over the violence which has engulfed the entire country now with bases being set up in urban areas by ZANU-PF militias.
"We talked about the threats by (ruling party) ZANU-PF leaders to go back to war as well as the abuse and use of guns. We told him a free and fair election poll is impossible in these circumstances."
Menkerios arrived in Zimbabwe on Monday and was to remain until Friday.
Tsvangirai faces Mugabe in next week's second round poll.
Following the announcement of results from the March first round, violence broke out in many parts of the country with the MDC claiming at least 66 of its supporters killed.
The party also says 200 went missing while at least 3,000 were hospitalised following a campaign of intimidation by suspected ZANU-PF militias.
ZANU-PF in turn blames the violence on the MDC and claims six of its supporters including two veterans from the country's 1970s liberation war were killed in attacks by the opposition, charges Tsvangirai's party has denied.
The UN has said the president's supporters were responsible for the bulk of the violence.
