The United Nations Security Council warned Zimbabwe last night that a free and fair election is impossible following opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s withdrawal from the race. The Security Council unanimously condemned what it described as Zimbabwe’s “campaign of violence.” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to postpone Friday’s run-off vote.

Ban Ki-moon: “Conditions do not exist for free and fair elections right now in Zimbabwe. There has been too much violence, too much intimidation. A vote held in these conditions would lack all legitimacy.”

Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party said the election would go ahead despite Tsvangirai’s withdrawal. On Monday, Tsvangirai sought refuge in the Dutch embassy in Harare because of concerns he would be assassinated. Tsvangirai won the first round of elections in March, but withdrew from the run-off saying he could not ask people to die voting for him. The Guardian newspaper reports forces aligned with Mugabe have raided the headquarters of Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change and hauled away scores of people.