Zim: Annan 'concerned'

2005-04-05 11:11

United Nations - United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan was pleased weekend elections in Zimbabwe were relatively peaceful, but was concerned about the fairness of the vote, his spokesperson said on Monday.

"The secretary general notes that parliamentary voting held in Zimbabwe on 31 March was conducted peacefully, without the violence that has marred previous elections," spokesperson Fred Eckhard said in a statement.

"He is concerned, however, that the electoral process has not countered the sense of disadvantage felt by opposition political parties who consider the conditions were unfair.

"He believes the government has a responsibility now to build a climate of confidence that will be essential for national unity and economic recovery in Zimbabwe," Eckhard said.

"He calls on all sides to engage in constructive dialogue in the period ahead."

Zimbabwe's opposition leader slammed the elections as a "massive fraud" as results showed that President Robert Mugabe's ruling party was closing in on his party's early lead on Friday.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won 31 of the 120 contested seats while Mugabe's Zanu-PF took 32, with rural constituencies favouring the ruling party.

"This (is) disgusting massive fraud," MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai said in an interview. "For people to even claim that this is a democratic process is simply not acceptable."

Tsvangirai said there were discrepancies between the number of voters and the final tally from results announced by the Zimbabwe Elections Commission.

Turnout was below 50% during voting on Thursday, which passed off peacefully, in marked contrast with the previous elections in 2000 and 2002 when scores were killed and beaten in political violence.

Mugabe, in power since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, dismissed charges of fraud as "nonsense" after he cast his ballot on Thursday, adding that he was "absolutely confident" of winning a two-thirds majority for his Zanu-PF. - AFP

- SAPA