Zimbabwe's Tsvangirai rejects unity government

Tsvangirai told a news conference Zimbabwe had suffered ade facto coup and was being run by a military junta.

Some 66 supporters of his Movement for Democratic Change(MDC) had been killed since disputed March elections, he said.

Simba Makoni, a defector from the ruling ZANU-PF party anda former finance minister, said earlier the June 27 run-offbetween President Robert Mugabe and Tsvangirai must be calledoff because a free and fair vote was impossible.

"Following the announcement of the date for the run-off, noone can change that due process unless Robert Mugabe concedesdefeat, or collapses. It therefore means that a government ofnational unity negotiated before the runoff does not arise,"Tsvangirai said.

U.S. Secretary of State Rice was consulting other countriesto see what practical steps could be taken by the internationalcommunity to ensure a real runoff election.

"We're continuing to focus on trying to make this runoffelection one that can be as free and fair as possible, thatwill reflect the will of the Zimbabwean people. Whether or notthat can happen is an open question," U.S. State Departmentspokesman Sean McCormack added.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

U.S.-based Human Rights Watch also said brutal intimidationand murder by Mugabe's supporters made normal campaigningimpossible.

"As a people we have been exposed to state-sponsoredbrutality. The violence continues unabated," Tsvangirai said.

He said 3,000 MDC supporters had been injured and more than25,000 displaced but the MDC would win even if ZANU-PFprevented them campaigning.