UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe faced a serious question about the legitimacy of the runoff presidential elections if the vote were to take place as scheduled on Friday, the dpa reported.
Ban renewed a call he made to Mugabe to postpone the vote, in part based on an African Union request. He said he discussed the matter on Thursday with Angola's President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, who is leading talks to defuse the crisis in Zimbabwe.
"The situation seems to be evolving, but I am still concerned that if the election is held under these circumstances, there will be serious questions about the legitimacy of the election," Ban said at a press conference.
He said the runoff cannot be credible and fair and therefore should be postponed until "such a time when we can create fair and credible conditions."
"I again urge the African leaders to engage in more dialogue (with Zimbabwe)," he said. "The United Nations fully supports the Southern African Development Community and African Union positions to postpone the election."