It looks like Mugabe again
ZANU-PF TAKES 28 OF FIRST 31 CONSTITUENCIES VERIFIED
HARARE: Zanu-PF had won 28 of the first 31 constituencies verified and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) three, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission deputy chairwoman Joyce Kazembe said last night.
This confirms unverified and unofficial results for a total of 210 constituencies, giving Zanu-PF a potential landslide victory.
A mood of resignation about a possible victory for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was settling on the streets of the capital last night.
While some shocked MDC supporters conceded that MDC leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was unlikely to dislodge the 89-yearold leader, they believed the reported higher margin in Zanu-PF’s favour was proof of election-rigging.
Sources close to the Zimbab- we Electoral Commission, who spoke on condition their names were withheld because it is a criminal offence for any unauthorised person to release the results, suggested that Zanu-PF had also convincingly captured Manicaland and Masvingo, rural provinces that had been won previously by the MDC.
Tsvangirai rejected the election as a “huge farce”.
“Its credibility has been marred by administrative and legal violations which affect the legitimacy of its outcome,” he said.
“This election does not meet the Southern African Development Community guidelines. It is a sham election that does not reflect the will of the people.”
Tsvangirai reiterated that the presidential, parliamentary and local government elections had been marred by manipulation of the voters roll, lack of transparency in the printing of ballot papers, militarisation of the electoral process, and dou- ble voting during the special vote.
On Wednesday, Mugabe, who rejects past and present charges of vote-fixing and intimidation, said he would concede if defeated.
“I’m sure people will vote freely and fairly,” he said after casting his ballot in Harare. “There’s no pressure being exerted on anyone.”
The Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network, an NGO, said the authorities had drawn a veil of secrecy over the results by declaring it an offence to share them by SMS or on the internet.
Preliminary reports of the
ZEC, the Electoral Commissions Forum of the SADC and the Catholic Bishop’s Commission of Zimbabwe said the highly contested polls had been free, fair and credible despite issues with the voters roll.
SADC observer mission chairman advocate Notemba Tjipueja said despite the body’s “concern” that the final voters roll was not immediately made available for inspection, the organisation deemed the polls to be “peaceful and credible”.
“The mission also commends ZEC, all political parties, candidates and the people of Zimbabwe for a peaceful, credible and efficient electoral process,” said Tjipueja.
He added “there is no country that could claim to have a perfect voters roll”.
Earlier, ZEC chairwoman Justice Rita Makarau said while the commission still needed to go through reports from officials on the ground, she was convinced that the elections had been “free and fair”.
She added that she hoped the reports would “vindicate my view”.
On the MDC’s claims that “thousands” of voters had been turned away because their names did not appear on the voters roll, Marakau said no one had furnished the commission with names of the alleged victims.
Some MDC supporters yesterday privately conceded defeat to Mugabe as Zanu-PF backers went into a party mood at the party’s provincial headquarters in Harare.
Simbayashe Moyo, a 65year- old mining executive from the Midlands province, said there was no way Tsvangirai would win “because there is a lot of rigging going on”.
But Mugabe’s supporters maintained that the veteran leader would win freely and fairly.
Memory Bingura, one of Zanu-PF’s Youth League leaders and a member of the party’s election command centre, said she was convinced Mugabe had “done it”.
“We have managed to take more than 30 constituencies from the MDC.
“I know the margin is high, but have no exact figures,” Bingura said.
The official results are expected to be released in the next few days.