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.

Amid mounting regional concern about instability and bloodshed, the 53-member African Union urged Zimbabwe to release the election results immediately, and called for restraint from all parties.

African leaders have come under international pressure to take strong action to help resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe, a once prosperous country whose economy is in ruins, beset with rampant inflation and mass unemployment.

“The African Union wishes to express its concern over the delay observed in the announcement of Zimbabwe’s election results, which creates an atmosphere of tension. The African Union, therefore, urges competent authorities of the Republic of Zimbabwe to announce the results without any further delay in transparency, thus contributing, inter alia, to reducing the prevailing tension.”

African reaction has been muted, despite calls from the UN and former secretary general Kofi Annan to take tougher action to end the crisis.