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Mugabe to contest run-off
02/05/2008 23:04 - (SA)
Harare - Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe accepted defeat in the presidential election to the opposition's Morgan Tsvangirai and will contest a run-off in a protracted political battle that has raised fears of bloodshed.
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) cried foul
after Zimbabwe's electoral body announced on Friday that he had
won 47.9% of the vote but faces a run-off after failing
to garner enough votes for an outright majority.
The MDC described the announcement of the long-delayed
result as "scandalous daylight robbery". It says Tsvangirai won
more than 50% of the vote in the March 29 election and
Mugabe's 28-year rule is over.
Few options
But Mugabe's old foe has few options. If Tsvangirai refuses
to take part in a second round, Mugabe would keep his hold on
power according to electoral law. The MDC said it would decide
at the weekend whether to contest a run-off.
An aide to Mugabe said the president accepted the result of
the first round and would contest a second round of votes.
"The presidential result as announced do not reflect the
genuine expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people given
the many anomalies, malpractices, deflation of figures relating
to Zanu-PF candidates," chief election agent Emmerson Mnangagwa
told reporters.
Western powers expressed doubt that a run-off could be fair.
Run-off election
Chief Elections Officer Lovemore Sekeramayi said Tsvangirai
won 47.9% with Mugabe, who has ruled since independence
from Britain, on 43.2%. Independent Simba Makoni, a
ruling party defector, took 8.3%.
"Since no candidate has received the majority of the total
votes cast ... a second election shall be held on a date to be
announced by the commission," Sekeramayi said.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) will set the date of
the run-off. By law, a second round should be held within 21
days of the result, but the ZEC has the power to extend it.
Political observers say it is likely to extend it to within
about 40 days.
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