Bush demands sanctions against Zimbabwe

President Bush on Saturday said he has instructed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Treasure Secretary Henry Paulson to develop sanctions against the “illegitimate government of Zimbabwe and those who support it.”

{mosads}Bush called Friday’s “runoff” election, in which President Robert Mugabe an unopposed, a “sham.” Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had withdrawn from the race, citing worries that his supporters were facing violence if he had stayed in the contest.

“The international community has condemned the Mugabe regime’s ruthless campaign of politically-motivated violence and intimidation with a strong and unified voice that makes clear that yesterday’s election was in no way free and fair,” Bush said.

“Given the Mugabe regime’s blatant disregard for the Zimbabwean people’s democratic will and human rights, I am instructing the Secretaries of State and Treasury to develop sanctions against this illegitimate government of Zimbabwe and those who support it,” Bush stated, adding that the U.S. will “press for strong action by the United Nations, including an arms embargo on Zimbabwe and [a] travel ban on regime officials.”

Bush also declared that the U.S. “stands ready to support a legitimate government through a robust package of development assistance, debt relief, and normalization with international financial institutions.”