ZIMBABWE president Robert Mugabe today threatened to arrest the leadership of the opposition over an increase in violence ahead of a June 27 presidential run-off.
"Sooner rather than later we are going to accuse the MDC and the party leadership of being liable and responsible for those crimes of violence," he told a rally south of Harare of the Movement for Democratic Change opposition.
"We are telling them we will arrest you in broad daylight," he said.
Mr Mugabe, referring to the violence, said: "There is now a pattern across the country that has to stop".
An MDC spokesman responded by throwing the charge of responsibility for the violence back at the president.
"He is the one who has gone about threatening to go back to war if he loses," said Nelson Chamisa. "So while he is accusing us of violence, he is responsible."
Though Mr Mugabe blames the opposition for the upsurge in violence, the UN has said the president`s supporters are to blame for the bulk of it.
The MDC says more than 60 of its supporters have been killed in a campaign of intimidation since the first-round election on March 29.
Mr Mugabe`s comments came after authorities announced recently they would begin refusing bail for suspected perpetrators or instigators of violence.
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