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Recounts results 'on Wednesday'
22/04/2008 22:16 - (SA)
Harare - Zimbabwe's election body said on Tuesday it expected the first results from a recount of votes cast in last month's elections by Wednesday while its opposition leader again slated South African President Thabo Mbeki's mediation in the country's political crisis.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) spokesperson Utoile Silaigwana said at least one result from the recount of votes cast for parliament in 23 constituencies should be available by Wednesday.
But he could give no timeframe for results from the presidential election in which President Robert Mugabe was widely believed to have been defeated by opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Votes cast for president in the 23 constituencies are also being recounted, despite the results never being made public.
"We are still verifying election material for the presidential election," Silaigwana said.
Seeking to explain the delay in the recount, which mirrors the nearly month-long wait for the presidential results, he said: "There were a few problems in relation to the methods of recounting here. There were arguments on methods of verification."
Run-off
Tsvangirai claims he defeated Mugabe in the March 29 presidential election after his party won the elections to the lower house of parliament.
Mugabe's Zanu-PF party says there was no clear winner in the presidential vote and that a run-off is required. Zanu-PF alleged the MDC bribed election officials to inflate the party and Tsvangirai's count in some areas.
The recount, which the MDC boycotted claiming the votes had been tampered with since the election, could see parliament returned to Zanu-PF, which was defeated 97 seats to the MDC's 109 in the original count.
The party needs nine seats to claim back its majority.
Analysts have speculated that the presidential recount is likely to bolster Mugabe's bid for a run-off by narrowing the gap between the 84-year-old leader and Tsvangirai. A Zimbabwean non-profit election observation organisation estimated neither candidate took more than 50% of the vote but put Tsvangirai very close.
'Disturbed' by Mbeki's role
Meanwhile, the MDC leader has again expressed concern over Mbeki's mediation in Zimbabwe, without calling outright for his removal as southern African envoy.
"We are disturbed by the role that President Mbeki is playing in undermining our people's victory. We are disturbed by his conduct as a mediator, particularly by his comments regarding the crisis in our country," Tsvangirai said in a statement issued in Ghana.
The MDC last week called for Mbeki to be replaced as Southern African Development Community (SADC) mediator in Zimbabwe after Mbeki declared he saw no evidence of a "crisis" in the country, but SADC leaders said they want him to remain in the position. - Sapa-dpa
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