U.S. President George W. Bush said Saturday that the United States was planning new sanctions against Zimbabwe following the disputed election Friday.
Bush has directed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to develop the new penalties against Mugabe's "illegitimate government," said Bush in a statement.
"The Mugabe regime held a sham election that ignored the will of the people of Zimbabwe," said the statement as Bush spent the weekend at Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.
Bush made the decision after Zimbabwe's incumbent president Robert Mugabe retained power through a disputed election Friday. Mugabe was accused of using "politically-motivated violence and intimidation" to get elected.
Meanwhile, Bush urged the United Nations to adopt a new resolution against Zimbabwe.
"We will press for strong action by the United Nations, including an arms embargo on Zimbabwe and travel ban on regime officials," Bush said.
Still, Bush said the United States will continue to provide food assistance to more than 1 million people in Zimbabwe and AIDS treatment to more than 40,000 people.
He also pledged to work closely with groups in Africa and world leaders to resolve the crisis.
Zimbabwe held the presidential run-off election Friday as scheduled despite opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's withdrawal from the race.
Tsvangirai, who had been expected to pit against Mugabe in the run-off, withdrew from the election Sunday, citing various reasons, including political violence.
Tsvangirai Tuesday submitted a withdrawal letter to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, formally quitting from the race, but the Commission said the withdrawal was of no legal effect because it was filed too late.
(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2008)
