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Zim partial recount 'a sham'
22/04/2008 07:25 - (SA)
Sydney - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is trying to steal last month's election and the so-called recount of votes is a sham, said Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith on Tuesday.
"It is now absolutely apparent that Mr Mugabe will do anything to steal this election," Smith told a news conference.
"It is quite clear that their so-called recount is nothing but a sham...a blatant attempt by Mr Mugabe to either avoid a presidential run-off or have a presidential run-off in which intimidation, threats, thuggery pervert the will of the Zimbabwean people."
Smith said Australia was increasingly concerned by reports of growing post-election violence in Zimbabwe, where the results of the presidential vote on March 29 had not been released.
With the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai claiming victory, but Mugabe refusing to concede defeat, Smith called for pressure to be maintained on Zimbabwe to release the results.
He urged African neighbours and the international community to "keep the pressure on the brutal Zimbabwe regime to ensure Mr Mugabe does not steal this election either by a corrupted count or recount or by violent means."
A recount was underway of both the parliamentary and presidential elections in 23 of Zimbabwe's 210 constituencies.
Tsvangirai called on Monday on the United Nations to intervene to end the election crisis as Mugabe's ruling party flatly denied it was behind a rise in post-poll violence.
MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti had charged that 10 MDC supporters had been killed and thousands forced to flee their homes after attacks by pro-Mugabe vigilantes.
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