Tsvangirai pulls out of Zimbabwe election

HARARE, Zimbabwe, June 22 (UPI) -- Zimbabwe presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai said Sunday he's pulling out of Friday's national elections, handing victory to President Robert Mugabe.

"A free and fair election is impossible," Tsvangirai told CNN, saying the political violence in the election run-up had to be stopped. He accused Mugabe's supporters of political slayings, election rigging and targeting members of his Movement for Democratic Change party for arrests.

Tsvangirai also called on the United Nations "to intervene to restore the rule of law, peace, and the conditions of a free and fair election," CNN reported.

More MDC supporters have been killed in recent days, including the wife of the newly chosen mayor of Harare, who was found Wednesday beaten to death, followed the next day by the killings of four more opposition activists allegedly abducted by Mugabe supporters, The New York Times reported.

Mugabe has been Zimbabwe's only leader since it gained independence from Britain in 1980. Tsvangirai led the long-time leader in the March 29 election, but failed to win enough votes to avoid a runoff, CNN reported.