British High Commissioner to Zambia Fergus Cochrane-Dyet says holding free and fair elections is the only right way to produce a legitimate government in Zimbabwe.

Commenting on the Zimbabwe crisis in a statement today, High Commissioner Cochrane-Dyet also urged all sides to refrain from violence in an effort to see a peaceful and swift resolution to the current situation in Zimbabwe.

“As the British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson MP, said in his statement to Parliament, we cannot tell how developments in Zimbabwe will turn out in the days or even hours ahead. It is too early to draw conclusions about the future of Zimbabwe. The UK wants to see a stable and successful Zimbabwe. We appeal for everyone to refrain from violence and hope to see a peaceful and swift resolution to the current situation,” said High Commissioner Cochrane-Dyet.

“Britain has always wanted the Zimbabwean people to be masters of their fate and for any political change to be peaceful, lawful, and constitutional. There is only one rightful way for Zimbabwe to achieve legitimate government and that is through free and fair elections.”

Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has made his first public appearance since that country’s army took over on Wednesday.

Mugabe, who has been under house arrest, attended a graduation ceremony in Harare but his wife Grace did not present.