Zimbabwe Opposition Can't Avoid Runoff

Tsvangirai Gets 48 Percent Of Vote, But Faces Second Round Against President Mugabe

(AP)  Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai won 47.9 percent of the vote in Zimbabwe's presidential elections, elections officials said Friday - not enough to avoid a runoff against President Robert Mugabe.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change challenged the results, saying the Electoral Commission ignored its objections and concerns about the vote count.

"We have been overruled. We are in dispute. It is not fair," Chris Mbanga, the polling agent for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, told The Associated Press.

Zimbabwe's opposition says Tsvangirai is willing to form a unity government - but that Mugabe must first surrender power.

Opposition leader Tendai Biti dismissed the official election results and said Friday in Johannesburg that the only way to resolve the impasse is with a "government of national healing."

The Electoral Commission on Friday released the long-delayed results from Zimbabwe's March 29 presidential vote, saying Mugabe won 43.2 percent of votes to Tsvangirai's 47.9 percent, requiring a second-round vote.

"No candidate has received a majority of votes counted. A second election will be held at a date to be announced," the commission said in a statement.

Tsvangirai - who has maintained that he won the presidency with more than 50 percent of the vote - said previously that he will not participate in any runoff. Even before the results were announced, his party challenged the process, citing 120,000 unaccounted votes that could prove Tsvangirai won outright.

"We just said to the electoral commission we're not moving forward until we understand where these 120,000 votes came from," Tsvangirai spokesman George Sibotshiwe said hours before the results were released.

He said the party - which says its tabulations show Tsvangirai won with 50.3 percent of the vote - anticipated needing another three or four days to examine the results presented to the MDC and the ruling ZANU-PF as part of the verification process.

Independent observers had said earlier that Tsvangirai won the most votes, but not the 50 percent plus one vote needed to avoid a runoff.

The opposition has accused longtime leader Mugabe of deliberately delaying the release of the results to buy time to intimidate voters. Rights groups said postelection violence in Zimbabwe has made it unlikely a runoff could be free and fair.

Mugabe - who has been in power since Zimbabwe gained independence from Britain in 1980 - has been accused of brutality and increasing autocracy.

But the main campaign issue for many here had been the economic collapse of what had once been a regional breadbasket.

Mugabe has pledged to accept the verdict of any runoff vote and called on the opposition to do the same, Senegalese officials said. Senegal's foreign minister was in Zimbabwe this week to help mediate the country's growing political crisis, meeting with Mugabe for two hours Thursday.

Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga said the Constitution requires a second round no sooner than 21 days from the announcement of the results.

[keithle1]

How can anyone defend Mugabe? I don''t get it. What good has he done for the people in Zimbabwe since he took over in 1980? Stop making excuses & rationalizations for the SOB.

I''d be happy to see a list of Mugabe''s positive accomplishments. Please take your time. I''ll give you til Xmas & then I''ll check back.

[downsteamjim]

To brianbwb: I hope someday you get to met your hero. As far as the more than 2 centuries of corrupt colonial rule, you need to get a history book and read it.

[downsteamjim]

I think I saw this movie. Didn''t Al Gore play Mugabe?

[brianbwb-2009]

"This once fairly prosperous country is now very poor and desperate." Posted by lindaredtail

Your "once fairly prosperous country" has always been "very poor and desperate.", its food products were feeding Europe, but the money never reached the slaves that worked the land.

Mugabe took power, and chased the colonials out, then has had to deal with a state where corruption was the way of government for more than two centuries, firmly entrenched long before he was even born.

In the twisted spirit of "revenge", the ex-colonials placed embargoes on the country, and did everything in their power to make it difficult for the country not to slide deeper than ever into mass corruption, then they blame Mugabe. Even now there are agitators there, sponsored by outsiders.

While there are no doubt members of the opposition that mean well, it is certain that the Mugabe government will be replaced with one that is just as corrupt, if not even more so, the only reall effect is that blood will flow as the new "power" takes the assets of the old "power".

At any rate, it is their own problem to sort out, and not ours in which to interfere, they have been independent for what, 28 years, while America has had 232 years, and is still among the most corrupt on earth.

[keithle1]

Mugabe is an evil, slimy snake. He will figure out a way to stay in power. Unless someone takes him out with a bullet or two. Can''t say he doesn''t deserve it.

[keithle1]

Terminate the baboon. Die, old man, die!

The people who could afford to leave Zimbabwe have left. Why would a white person want to stay there?
All that''s left are the poor, the very young, the sick & the old. Hell on earth. Getting worse with every passing month. With no end in sight.

Can you name one country in Africa that you would like to move to & spend the rest of your days?

[lindaredtail]

We have so many issues in America right now that we''re not really paying attention to Zimbabwe. We should try though. This once fairly prosperous country is now very poor and desperate. Mugabe should step down but tyrants never do, until it is forced upon them. I hope that we will continue to monitor this situation.