ZIMBABWE:ZIMBABWE'S OPPOSITION leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat President Robert Mugabe in the presidential election but faces a run-off vote after failing to win an outright majority, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said yesterday.
The result was immediately contested, however, by Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which insisted he won a clear majority. Meanwhile, the ruling Zanu-PF said it would launch a legal challenge to 52 of the 99 parliamentary seats won by MDC.
According to the commission Mr Tsvangirai secured 47.9 per cent of the votes in the March 29th presidential election, while Mr Mugabe won 43.2 per cent.
"Since no candidate has received the majority of the valid vote cast . . . a second election shall be held on a date to be advised by the commission," said chief elections officer Lovemore Sekeramayi. By law a second round run-off should be held within 21 days of the result being announced.
The MDC insists results posted outside each polling station shortly after votes were cast show Mr Tsvangirai secured just over the 50 per cent plus one vote needed to win outright, and therefore a second round head-to-head was not necessary.
Mr Tsvangirai's representative at the all-party verification process, Chris Mbanga, said the commission was not following the electoral rules agreed upon. "We have been denied the opportunity to verify the result and they're going ahead to announce the original results and now we are taking the matter to our political leadership," he said.
Chief spokesman for the MDC Nelson Chamisa said the result was scandalous. "What is clear is that we won this election and there is no budget for a run-off."
The ruling regime's deputy information officer, Bright Matonga, said all involved had been aware that no one had won outright. "That has now been confirmed, there's no outright winner, pointing to a run-off," he said.
US state department spokesman Tom Casey said the official result was difficult to accept when Mr Mugabe's regime had done everything it could to delay and obscure the result. "It is a little difficult, I think, for people to take that issue [a run-off] seriously when the government of Zimbabwe is busy harassing, repressing, arresting and abusing members of the opposition," he said.
Although Mr Tsvangirai is publicly against a head-to-head with Mr Mugabe, some observers say a run-off is far less appealing to Mr Mugabe who risks humiliation after a 28-year rule. What is crucial to both men's chances of victory is the way in which supporters of former finance minister Simba Makoni, who came third with 8.3 per cent of the vote, choose to vote in the second round.