Delay in recount as MDC say 10 members killed

ZIMBABWE announced a delay in the partial recount of its disputed March 29 election yesterday, extending a political deadlock in which the opposition says 10 of its members have been killed and hundreds arrested.

The delay increased opposition concern about possible vote-rigging by veteran President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party. The recount could overturn the results of the parliamentary election, which showed ZANU-PF losing its majority to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) for the first time. Results of the presidential election have not been released, but MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai claims he won.

“I can confirm that 10 of our members have died, four of them in the last few days, due to political violence perpetrated by ruling party supporters in the aftermath of the elections,” MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said.