Washington:  US President George W Bush is "quite pleased" with a watered-down UN condemnation of violence in Zimbabwe and call not to hold a presidential vote set for June 27,his spokeswoman said today.

"The president was actually quite pleased. We think that is a strong statement," Dana Perino said after the UN Security Council passed a non-binding statement that also slammed Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe s government.

"We believe that the international community spoke very clearly and with one voice, in a unified way, to say that the actions of the government of Zimbabwe are deplorable, an that the blame for this horrible situation can be firmly laid at the feet of President Mugabe," Perino told reporters.

"So we think that was actually a strong resolution," she said.

After hours of haggling, the 15-member council unanimously adopted a statement that "condemns the campaign of violence against the political opposition ahead of the second round" of voting scheduled for Friday.

The British-drafted text also made it clear that the violence and restrictions placed on the opposition "have made it impossible for a free and fair election to take place on 27 June."

It also slammed the Harare government for denying its political foes "the right to campaign freely" and urged it "to stop the violence, cease political intimidation, end the restrictions on the right of assembly and release the political leaders who have been detained."

Meanwhile, Washington's ambassador in Haare, James McGee, during a telephone press conference with reporters here, called on Zimbabwe s southern African neighbours to adopt an equally tough stance.

Source : PTI