The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

In a March 29 Washington Post article, NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright and Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Archbishop of Cape Town, condemn the violent crackdown on political rights in Zimbabwe.

They condemn the violent crackdown on political rights in Zimbabwe and call on the international community to acknowledge that silent diplomacy will not resolve the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis.  Tutu and Albright urge open dialogue, reform of the electoral code, and transparent and legitimate elections, and call on the African Union and Southern African Development Community (SADC) to take the lead in facilitating this process.  This piece is particularly timely, as heads of state from throughout the SADC region convened on March 28 and 29 in Tanzania to hold discussions on Zimbabwe's future.

Read the Albright/Tutu op-ed piece in the Washington Post >>

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Published on Mar. 29, 2007