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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Concerns mount at Zim poll delays |
| 2008-04-01 |
| Concern grew on Monday that long delays in issuing Zimbabwe's election results hid attempts by President Robert Mugabe to cling to power by rigging. Almost 48 hours after polls closed, only 52 of 210 parliamentary constituencies had been declared, showing Mugabe's ZANU-PF party one seat ahead of the main opposition MDC. Two of his ministers lost their seats. No results were announced for the presidential vote, in which Mugabe faces the most formidable political challenge of his 28 years in power. "It is now clear that there is something fishy. The whole thing is suspicious and totally unacceptable," said MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) spokesman Nelson Chamisa. Mugabe, 84, is under unprecedented pressure from a two-pronged attack by veteran MDC rival Morgan Tsvangirai and ZANU-PF defector Simba Makoni, who both blame him for Zimbabwe's ruin. Although the odds seemed stacked against Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, analysts believe his iron grip on the country and solid backing from the armed forces could enable him to ignore the results and declare victory. He rejects vote-rigging allegations. |
| Posted by:Fred |