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Minister blasts 'false' claims
26/04/2008 12:11 - (SA)
Harare - Zimbabwe on Saturday denounced as "patently false" US Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer's declaration that opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai won a clear victory in last month's disputed elections.
"Frazer has no moral or legal authority to make unfounded announcements on our domestic processes," Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa was quoted as saying by the state-controlled Herald newspaper.
"Even the figures published on the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) website on April 2 do not make Morgan Tsvangirai an outright winner."
Frazer told reporters in South Africa on Thursday: "The most credible results we have today are a clear victory for Morgan Tsvangirai in the first round and maybe a total victory."
But Chinamasa dismissed her declaration as "patently false, inflammatory, irresponsible and uncalled for".
"No one... has the prerogative at law to usurp the constitutional role of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the will of the people of Zimbabwe to impose Morgan Tsvangirai as the next president of Zimbabwe outside the electoral process," Chinamasa was quoted as saying.
"Pending the release of the official results by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission no individual, corporate entity or country has any authority to declare a result."
Zimbabweans went to the polls on March 29 to elect a president, lawmakers and councillors.
Nearly a month later, ZEC has yet to announce the presidential results. Following the delays in the announcement the MDC declared its president the outright winner citing figures collected from polling stations.
But veteran President Robert Mugabe's ruling party said none of the four presidential candidates had garnered the required majority and that the party was gearing up for a run-off.
- AFP
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