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BRITAIN and the United States urged Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Monday to allow international monitors to ensure a free and fair election in Zimbabwe.

Referring to what he called Mugabe's "increasingly desperate and criminal regime", Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Mugabe should not be allowed to "steal" the election.

Zimbabwe holds a run-off presidential vote on June 27 and the opposition and rights groups accuse Mugabe's supporters of a campaign of violence that has killed at least 66 opposition activists.

"In recent weeks, under Robert Mugabe's increasingly desperate and criminal regime, Zimbabwe has seen 53 killings, 2000 beatings, the displacement of 30,000 people, the arrest and detention of opposition leaders including Morgan Tsvangirai," Brown told a joint news conference after talks with U.S. President George W. Bush.

"This is wholly unacceptable. Mugabe must not be allowed to steal the election."

"That is why we call for Zimbabwe to accept a United Nations human rights envoy to visit Zimbabwe now and to accept international monitors from all parts of the world who are available to ensure that this is a free and fair election," Brown said.

Bush offered his support to Brown's call for free elections.

"You are obviously emotional on the subject and I don't blame you because the people of Zimbabwe have suffered under the Mugabe leadership," he said.

"We will work with you to ensure these good folks have free and fair elections to the best extent possible, which obviously Mr Mugabe does not want to have," he said.

Mugabe's government ordered aid agencies to stop work on June 4, accusing them of working against his Zanu PF party in March 29 elections.

The ruling party lost its parliamentary majority in that vote and Tsvangirai won the presidential ballot, but without the majority needed to avoid a run-off, official results showed.

Tsvangirai has been arrested repeatedly during his campaign and one of his top lieutenants has been arrested and faces treason charges. Mugabe blames his foes for violence.

A United Nations senior envoy, assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios, arrives in Zimbabwe later on Monday for a five-day visit to assess Zimbabwe's political and humanitarian crisis ahead of the run-off vote. - Reuters
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