Tsvangirai ponders pulling out of runoff

HARARE, Zimbabwe, June 20 (UPI) -- Leaders of Zimbabwe's opposition party, faced with reports of escalating violence against its supporters, said they may pull out of next week's runoff election.

Senior Movement for Democratic Change leaders met in Harare to discuss whether to participate in the election June 27 between MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe, the BBC reported Friday. Tsvangirai reportedly is being pressured to abandon his bid.

The MDC accused loyalists to Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party of killing 70 opposition party members and driving 25,000 from their homes in a state-sanctioned campaign of violence since the March elections. One of the MDC's leaders, Tendai Biti, was charged with treason and subversion.

Tsvangirai won the March presidential election, but did not collect enough votes to be declared the winner outright, forcing the runoff.

Meanwhile, the European Union is considering new sanctions against the Mugabe government. EU members in Brussels drafted a statement saying they are ready "to take additional measures against those responsible for violence," the British broadcaster reported.

The EU already has an arms embargo against Zimbabwe, and it imposed travel bans on Mugabe and other senior government and ruling party officials.