Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday rejected talks on a unity government, saying President Robert Mugabe must first stop violence and accept him as the rightful election winner.
African Union leaders called at a summit on Tuesday for the two sides to negotiate to end the crisis after Mugabe's re-election in a June 27 ballot that was boycotted by the opposition and dismissed by much of the world as a sham.
Tsvangirai pulled out of the election because of attacks on his supporters. He had won a first round vote on March 29.
"Significantly the conditions prevailing in Zimbabwe are not conducive to negotiations. If dialogue is to be initiated, it is essential that ZANU-PF stops the violence, halts the persecution of MDC leaders and supporters," he told a news conference in Harare.
Tsvangirai said talks had to be based on recognising only the first round vote, which he won. He said his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) should be the legitimate government after beating Mugabe's ZANU-PF in parallel parliamentary elections.
Mugabe's officials earlier welcomed the call from African leaders for talks on a power-sharing government.
"The AU resolution is in conformity to what President Mugabe said at his inauguration, when he said we are prepared to talk in order to resolve our problems," Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu told Reuters.
"We are committed to talk, not just with Tsvangirai but to other parties as well." Ndlovu later dismissed Tsvangirai's position on talks as grandstanding and said he was confident the two sides would soon be together at the bargaining table.
