Posted on 04/28/2008 11:39:38 AM PDT by Red Badger
HARARE (Reuters) - The results of Zimbabwe's disputed presidential election are due to be released on Tuesday, a month after the vote, now a partial recount is complete, an election official said on Monday.
The wait for the March 29 election result has led to a tense standoff that has raised fears of bloodshed and drawn opposition accusations that President Robert Mugabe is trying to rig the outcome to keep his 28-year hold on power.
A win for Mugabe, whose ruling party lost control of parliament in the election, would deepen the economic collapse of the once prosperous country, political analysts say.
Western powers are likely to pour in aid and investment if victory goes to Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Tsvangirai accuses Mugabe of using the delay in results to rig victory in a run-off.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said recounting in five remaining constituencies had been completed on Monday.
"I'm getting the information that they are now collating the results, which will be available tomorrow," spokesman Utoile Silaigwana told Reuters.
The results will still need to be verified by the candidates and that could take up to a week because candidates are likely to dispute the results, Silaigwana said.
Zimbabweans had hoped the election would ease an economic crisis. Instead severe food, fuel and foreign currency shortages are worsening and there are no signs an inflation rate of 165,000 percent -- the world's highest -- will ease.
RUNOFF DOUBT
Tsvangirai, who says he won an outright majority in the first round of voting and has rejected an expected run-off, urged the 84-year-old Mugabe to step down.
"Old man, go and have an honourable exit," Tsvangirai, 56, told a news conference in neighbouring South Africa.
Asked if he would take part in a runoff, Tsvangirai said: "The question of a runoff does not arise. The people have spoken."
Mugabe's ZANU-PF lost control of parliament for the first time since he took office in 1980, weakening the hold of the former liberation hero who critics say has depended on heavy security crackdowns and an elaborate patronage system.
Tsvangirai said his supporters had united with a breakaway faction of the MDC led by Arthur Mutambara to work together in parliament, which could consolidate the opposition in what was once a rubber stamp for the government.
The MDC has called on the United Nations to send an envoy to help resolve the crisis. That seemed unrealistic given Mugabe's rejection of foreign intervention as a violation of Zimbabwe's sovereignty, one of his favourite rallying cries.
ZANU-PF accuses MDC members of carrying out attacks and working with Western powers to bring down Mugabe, once seen as a leader who could transform the former British colony into a democratic and economic success story.
(Additional reporting by Caroline Drees in Johannesburg and Cris Chinaka and MacDonald Dzirutwe in Harare; Writing by Michael Georgy)
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
What is that supposed to be on the woman’s head in the picture?
Your headline is a little misleading. Mugabe didn’t lose. He just has not finished counting and counting and counting...
A sun visor?......
He has the Marcos problem. The election was so overwhelmingly against him, even his thugs couldn’t cover it up. So now his strategy is to run everybody out of the country who opposes him or hold their children, babies included, hostage........
Perhaps Howard Dean can convince him to drop out........
That’s the “Flying Mugabe”?
I wonder, is it too late to get Jimmy in there to save Bobby’s job?
We often wonder who buys those ridiculous outfits from top fashion houses, that are boldly trotted on the ramp, don't we?
Well, these are the people who buy them.
Hold off on the celebrations.
Oh, I’m not celebrating early. I know he’ll cling on to power with every last drop of other peoples’ blood he can spill.........
Jimmah is probably on his way, even as we type....
His super-voters carry bigger guns ballots, which are worth more in the Zim electoral process.
Also, this was just the preliminary voting; the Chinese cast their ballots next month, don't they?
I just spoke to a good friend in South Africa and this is what he said.
“Mugabe is behaving like the ape that he really is - the story of African dictators. He needs to be in power until the age of 85 to get immunity from being charged with crimes against humanity - he’s 84 now. I think that’s the true story!”
Any relation to Sister Bertrille?
His 85th birthday isn't until Feb 24th 2009. It's a looooong time to hold off a revolution.........
A hanging chad in this election means they really go out and hang a guy named Chad........
Maybe she aspires to this...
That is hysterical! I can envision that hat showing up in all sorts of places, much like the hurrican Katrina “looter man”.
.....The only question now is if he will cede power ....
That is not going to happen. Those propping him up will not let it happen. If they lose their grasp they die..... literally
LOL!
You laugh..... Remember that photo and check out the women on the floor of the convention in Denver. The big hats are the old guard.
I can’t understand this. Here in America we took charge and got the Brits out when their rule became too oppressive. We got rid of Carter in the 80’s and the Africans can’t even take the needed action to get rid of a dictator that has obviously lost.
Are they lazy or just plain insane?
No, they are beaten down and imprisoned, tortured and killed for even being suspected of being in opposition to the mugabe thugocracy. Now the thugs are taking their children, too, even babies and infants. When we dumped Carter, we had an electoral system that worked, theirs doesn't. When we fought the British, many Americans had guns, they don't..........
Good point.
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