Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai said today the presidential race could not be free and fair while his supporters are victims of violence, but vowed not to seek retribution.
"This election is being fought under extremely terrible conditions that do not resemble anything that nears a free and fair election," Mr Tsvangirai told a press conference after officially filing his nomination papers for the election.
He urged the ruling party to stop its militants "from carrying on with the violent campaigns and also ensure that law enforcement agents arrest and prosecute, without regard to party affiliation, all those individuals who continue to commit political crimes."
But if elected, Mr Tsvangirai said "the MDC has no plans to travel on the path of retribution. Our priority is not to seek vengeance but to ensure national healing and the turning around of the economy."
The MDC says more than 90 of its supporters have been killed in political violence since the party formed two years ago, while hundreds of thousands more have suffered beatings and other intimidation.
Mr Tsvangirai also welcomed the Commonwealth's statement yesterday, which voiced "deep concern over the continued violence, political intimidation and actions against the freedom and independence of the media" ahead of the March 9-10 presidential vote.
He urged Mr Mugabe to take the statement not "as an anti-Zimbabwe campaign" but as "a reminder that he should uphold Zimbabwe's constitution, which he took an oath to defend."
Mr Tsvangirai is the most serious challenger Mr Mugabe has faced since he assumed leadership of Zimbabwe at independence in 1980.
AFP