Tsvangirai Sets Conditions for Contesting Runoff

MDC Leader (and rightful President of Zimbabwe) Morgan Tsvangirai held a press conference this morning in which he laid out the conditions that need to be met in Zimbabwe in order for him to compete in a runoff (H/T: This is Zimbabwe): "The conditions include: * Security of law * The violence must stop immediately * A new Zimbabwe Electoral Commission * Geroge Chiweshe must go (the head of ZEC, above) * A free press - local and international * A SADC peacekeeping force are wanted on the ground * Unfettered access for international observers" Tsvangirai also said he would be returning to Zimbabwe (he is currently in South Africa) for a "victory tour". (BBC has audio of some of the press conference, full text of the statement is here.) Also, despite the fact that the ZEC have not set a date for the runoff, MDC will be preparing for a May 24th election date (three weeks after the results were released as mandated by the Zimbabwean constitution). I'm happy to hear that MDC is planning to contest the election, but there is certain to be even more violence leading up to it. The international community needs put more pressure on ZANU-PF to help ensure the elections are free and fair. (I'm looking at you, China.)