Mugabe unlikely to win control in recount
4/26/2008 - 11:48:17 AMZimbabwe’s electoral commission has confirmed the results in 10 disputed parliamentary votes, making it unlikely that President Robert Mugabe’s party can wrest control from the opposition.
The commission said today that recounts confirmed that six seats were taken by the opposition and four by Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party in the March 29 election.
In the remaining 13 seats subject to recounts, most held by the opposition, Mugabe’s party needs a virtual clean sweep to win back majority control of the 210-seat parliament.
Results of the presidential vote have not been released and the recount has been widely seen as a delaying tactic by Mugabe’s party and state election authorities.
Original results from the voting showed that opposition groups won 110 seats to Mr Mugabe's 97. Three seats are vacant, awaiting by-elections after the deaths of candidates.
Differences between the original count and recounts were minor, with only a single vote difference recorded in one of the 10 districts. Regional election observers said they believed that pattern was likely to continue, without major reversals.
Amid continuing political uncertainty, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, a Mugabe loyalist, criticised US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer for backing claims that Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat Mr Mugabe in the presidential vote, the state media reported today.
On Thursday the US envoy declared the opposition leader the victor and called on Mr Mugabe to step down.
Mr Chinamasa called Ms Frazer’s remarks “patently false, inflammatory, irresponsible and uncalled-for”.
Though presidential results had not been completed, tallies posted outside polling stations “point to a run-off” between Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai, the state Herald reported.
“Frazer has no moral or legal authority to make unfounded announcements on our domestic processes,” Mr Chinamasa said, “It is no secret the US and Britain have poured in large sums of money behind the MDC’s sustained demonisation campaign that seeks to render the country ungovernable.”
“More than anything else, Frazer’s comments expose Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC for what they are – an Anglo-American project designed to defeat and reverse the gains of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle ... and return the nation to the dark days of white domination,” Mr Chinamasa said.
Police, meanwhile, confirmed that they arrested 215 people in a raid on Mr Tsvangirai’s headquarters in Harare on Friday and also searched the offices of the independent Zimbabwe Election Support Network looking for evidence that the Western-funded organisation bribed state election officials to rig polling results.
About 250 riot police wielding batons carried out a sweep on the opposition’s Harvest House offices in the capital, Harare.
The oppositions said those arrested were seeking refuge after being attacked by ruling party loyalists in the countryside.
Women, some pregnant or with babies strapped to their backs, were among those taken away by police. Girls who had been threatened with rape and men with broken bones were also herded into a bus and pickup truck during the raid, the opposition said. Others had come for help and news of relatives missing in a wave of violence against opposition supporters blamed on militants of Mugabe’s party.
Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said those arrested were suspected of involvement in political violence.
Human rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama said among those detained were 24 children, “some still suckling” as well as six people over the age of 60.
He said lawyers had been assured by police that the babies would be released but this had not happened by Saturday morning.
There had been reports of beatings of those being held in various police stations across the city, he said. No charges have been put to them.
“They are internally displaced people. They were seeking refuge. Their houses had been destroyed or they were running away or wanted help to get to a hospital,” he said.
Police are still holding a further 28 opposition supporters who are facing public violence charges.
The raids sent a powerful message that Zimbabwe’s long-time leader intends to hold on to power despite a growing global clamour for him to step aside and rising violence at home.
Hundreds of opposition supporters have been abducted, tortured and assaulted in recent weeks in what independent religious and human rights groups call a violent crackdown on dissent.
Human Rights Watch said that a campaign against those perceived to have “voted wrongly” has escalated this week.
Carolyn Norris, the New York-based group’s deputy director for Africa, said soldiers have joined in torturing and beating people in recent days. Previously, ruling party officials, militiamen and war veterans carried out the violence at informal torture centres in the countryside, the rights group said.