Early results indicate serious losses for Mugabe

Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission belatedly began announcing official results of elections today in which the opposition claimed to have beaten President Robert Mugabe.

In an early morning nationwide broadcast on radio and television, the deputy chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana declared results of six seats – three for Mugabe’s ruling party, three for the opposition.

However, election monitors, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to publish results, said six Cabinet ministers had lost their seats, including some leading members of Mugabe’s inner circle.

The delay in announcing results heightened fears of rigging and brought security forces onto the streets.

Opposition sources did not wait to claim an “overwhelming” victory.

One said if there were efforts to rig the vote “they won’t succeed”.

An opposition spokesman said: “We’ll give Mugabe time to accept defeat.”

The piecemeal announcement could not be explained since election observers said some initial results were known as early as 11pm on Saturday night, some four hours after polls closed.

Western diplomats reported that many younger army officers showed open defiance of orders to vote for Mugabe.

Noel Kututwa, chairman of the Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network, said the delay in declaring results was “fuelling speculation that something might be going on”.

Saturday’s elections for parliament, the presidency and local offices presented Mugabe, 84, with the toughest challenge ever to his 28-year rule.

With inflation soaring beyond 100,000%, the campaign, which was generally peaceful, hinged on the country’s wrecked economy.

Running against Mugabe was chief opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, 55, who narrowly lost disputed 2002 elections, and former ruling party loyalist and Finance Minister Simba Makoni, 58.

If no presidential candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, there will be a run off.

Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change said he was leading the presidential race with 67% of votes, basing its unofficial count on returns from 35% of polling stations nationwide.

The party also claimed to have taken some of Mugabe’s rural strongholds. The claims were based on results posted overnight on Saturday on the doors of polling stations.

No results were posted yesterday at stations in Mugabe’s birthplace of Zvimba, south west of Harare.

Independent monitors suggested that was because the ruling party has lost at least one parliamentary seat there. That would be a crushing blow.

Members of Mugabe’s inner circle believed to have lost their seats include Vice President Joyce Mujuru; Didymus Mutasa, minister of state for security and land, and Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi.

“We’ll give Mugabe time to accept defeat,” opposition spokesman Nelson Chamisa told The Associated Press on today.

He added: “Even if they are trying to rig, they won’t succeed. Our victory is overwhelming.”

Security and government officials loyal to Mugabe have warned Tsvangirai against declaring a victory.

“It is called a coup d’etat and we all know how coups are handled,” chief presidential spokesman George Charamba was quoted as saying in the state-controlled Sunday Mail newspaper.

Sources within the ruling party said Mugabe was consulting with his security chiefs last night amid fears of how they might react to any news of his defeat. The chiefs all have said they would serve only Mugabe.