US warns Mugabe against declaring election victory

8220;Clearly, no run-off election that doesn8217;t have the participation of opposition 8230; can be considered legitimate, no outcome can be considered legitimate,8221; she said in Kyoto, where she is attending a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Eight industrialised nations.

8220;This is not going to be a legitimate election, no one believes that it is going to be a legitimate election,8221; she said.

The G-8 ministers are expected to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe in talks on Thursday and Friday as Mugabe from the ruling ZANU-PF party runs unopposed in the run-off election after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out citing intimidation and violence against his MDC party.

Rice said the people of Zimbabwe must have a legitimate government and 8220;it cannot be a legitimate government with the forces of President Mugabe doing the things that they are doing and then claiming an election victory.8221;

She noted that Tsvangirai had said he was open to talking about forming a legitimate government and said that offer should be pursued. But, she added, if Mugabe claims victory, that could not happen.

8220;That offer obviously has to be taken up, but it can8217;t be taken up from a position in which the Zimbabwean authorities declare themselves the victors and then believe that they can divide the spoils,8221; Rice said.