Mugabe's opponents claim they are winning

The main opposition party to Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe today claimed it was winning the country’s election by a huge margin.

With an unexplained delay in official returns from the vote on Saturday, the Movement for Democratic Change issued its own figures saying it had taken 60% of the ballot compared to 30% for Mugabe.

The rest of the votes have gone to the third candidate, former ruling party loyalist and finance minister Simba Makoni.

Morgan Tsvangari’s MDC said the results gave it 96 of 128 seats in the House of Assembly.

A party official said the information was based on vote counts posted on polling stations for 128 of the 210 Assembly seats.

The delay in announcing official results has heightened fears of vote rigging by Mugabe and brought security forces onto the streets.

In one of the few results issued by the country’s Electoral Commission Mugabe’s Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa lost his seat in a district seen as a ruling party stronghold.

MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti told reporters that the party’s sources at the Electoral Commission said rigging was under way aimed at giving Mugabe a 52% victory in the presidential race, and his party 111 of the 210 House of Assembly seats. A presidential candidate needs at least 50% plus one vote to avoid a second round.

“This country stands on a precipice,” Mr Biti said. “We still express our great misgivings about ZEC’s failure to announce the results .... It only goes to raise tension among the people that is fertilising an atmosphere of suspicion.

Chinamasa’s loss fits a pattern independent monitors had seen earlier. They said six Cabinet ministers, among them some leading members of Mugabe’s inner circle, had lost their parliament seats. They include Vice President Joyce Mujuru; Didymus Mutasa, minister of state for security and land, and Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi.

In addition, observers from the South African Democratic Alliance opposition party have said accounts from observers and other sources indicated the opposition had won a majority in most areas. But Mr Tsvangirai narrowly lost disputed 2002 elections, and questions remained as to whether Mugabe, who has been accused of rigging past elections, would accept defeat this time.

It also was unclear how powerful backers who have benefited from Mugabe’s rule would react. While younger army officers are reported to be losing patience with Mugabe, security chiefs said before the election they would not accept an opposition victory.

A show of force by riot police and other security forces dampened celebrations yesterday in Harare’s densely populated suburb where support for the opposition is strong.

In a nationwide broadcast on radio and television, the deputy chief elections officer, Utoile Silaigwana, declared results of six seats in the 210-seat House of Assembly, three for Mugabe’s ruling party, three for the opposition.

Then he went off the air, saying, “We’ll be back with you when we have more results.”

Four hours later, the commission announced results for another 18 assembly seats, nine each for the ruling and opposition parties. Those results included Chinamasa’s loss.

Election observers have said some initial results were known as early as Saturday evening, a few hours after polls closed. In previous elections, partial results have been announced within hours of voting ending.

“Clearly the delay is fuelling speculation that something might be going on,” said Noel Kututwa, chairman of the Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network, which includes 38 civic, church and other groups.

The elections have presented Mugabe, 84, with the toughest challenge ever to his 28-year rule. The voting was generally peaceful after a campaign that focuses on the destroyed economy, with inflation soaring beyond 100,000%.

If Mr Tsvangirai were to claim victory before the official results are announced, it would be “called a coup d’etat and we all know how coups are handled,” chief presidential spokesman George Charamba said.

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

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