Post by Pete the Wolf on Apr 9, 2008 15:29:13 GMT -1
neko said:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7332941.stmPresident Robert Mugabe's party has asked Zimbabwe's electoral officials to delay presidential poll results to check "errors and miscalculations".
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change said the move was illegal - a recount is possible only after the result has been published.
They have asked the High Court to publish the outcome immediately.
The MDC believes its leader Morgan Tsvangirai won outright in the vote held eight days ago.
The opposition party has also denied it had proposed a unity government. A minister had earlier said Zanu-PF had rejected an opposition call for a coalition.
On Saturday, the opposition accused President Mugabe of "preparing a war".
And the farmers' union said a number of white-owned farms had been briefly invaded by war veterans' groups loyal to Mr Mugabe in southern Masvingo.
A spokesman said the situation was under control after police intervened to disperse them.
Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has cited what it claims are anomalies in the presidential vote despite the fact the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has still to release the result.
Information Minister Bright Matonga told the BBC the anomalies were with the collation of the results - there was a discrepancy between the voting results put outside polling stations and the form sent to the central election commission.
It was not clear if this meant the whole vote had to be counted again.
The minister insisted the request did not amount to a recount - which has been dismissed as illegal by MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti.
"The [Electoral] Act says that you ask for a recount within 48 hours of the counting," he said.
"Counting takes place at polling stations so it's within 48 hours of that.
"It's madness literally and metaphorically".
According to papers submitted to the ZEC by Zanu-PF, the number of votes for Mr Mugabe recorded at a number of polling stations were reduced before being sent on to electoral officials.
Some ZEC officials working in the Midlands constituencies of Mberengwa East, West, North and South had since been arrested, the state-run Sunday Mail newspaper said.
"As will soon become apparent, the constituency elections officer and his team committed errors of miscounting that are so glaring as to prejudice not just our clients' candidate but also his co-contestants," Zanu-PF's letter said, according to the Sunday Mail.
In a separate article, the Sunday Mail quoted Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa as saying the Zanu-PF had rejected an offer from Mr Tsvangirai to form a national unity government, but Mr Biti denied that an offer had been made.
Before the High Court judge on Sunday, MDC lawyer Alec Muchadehama said the results "must be announced forthwith", as they had been available since 30 March.
But ZEC lawyer George Chikumbirike said the court's remit did not include ruling on the case - only ZEC could adjudicate.
The court is to rule on Monday on whether it has jurisdiction over the case.
The Zanu-PF complaint came hours after the ZEC declared the final results of last week's Senate election. It said Mr Mugabe's party had won 30 seats, with the combined opposition taking the same number.
In the lower house, opposition parties took 109 seats, while Zanu-PF won just 97 - the first time it has failed to win a majority since independence from the UK in 1980.
On Saturday Mr Tsvangirai claimed victory for the first time since the vote, saying figures posted outside polling stations confirmed he had reached the required threshold of more than 50% of the vote to win outright - making a run-off unnecessary.
He also claimed that the country's central bank was printing money "for the finance of violence", and called for dialogue on a peaceful transition.
Mr Mugabe, 84, came to power 28 years ago at independence on a wave of optimism.
But in recent years Zimbabwe has been plagued by the world's highest inflation, as well as acute food and fuel shortages, which correspondents say have driven many voters to back the opposition.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change said the move was illegal - a recount is possible only after the result has been published.
They have asked the High Court to publish the outcome immediately.
The MDC believes its leader Morgan Tsvangirai won outright in the vote held eight days ago.
The opposition party has also denied it had proposed a unity government. A minister had earlier said Zanu-PF had rejected an opposition call for a coalition.
On Saturday, the opposition accused President Mugabe of "preparing a war".
And the farmers' union said a number of white-owned farms had been briefly invaded by war veterans' groups loyal to Mr Mugabe in southern Masvingo.
A spokesman said the situation was under control after police intervened to disperse them.
Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has cited what it claims are anomalies in the presidential vote despite the fact the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has still to release the result.
Information Minister Bright Matonga told the BBC the anomalies were with the collation of the results - there was a discrepancy between the voting results put outside polling stations and the form sent to the central election commission.
It was not clear if this meant the whole vote had to be counted again.
The minister insisted the request did not amount to a recount - which has been dismissed as illegal by MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti.
"The [Electoral] Act says that you ask for a recount within 48 hours of the counting," he said.
"Counting takes place at polling stations so it's within 48 hours of that.
"It's madness literally and metaphorically".
According to papers submitted to the ZEC by Zanu-PF, the number of votes for Mr Mugabe recorded at a number of polling stations were reduced before being sent on to electoral officials.
Some ZEC officials working in the Midlands constituencies of Mberengwa East, West, North and South had since been arrested, the state-run Sunday Mail newspaper said.
"As will soon become apparent, the constituency elections officer and his team committed errors of miscounting that are so glaring as to prejudice not just our clients' candidate but also his co-contestants," Zanu-PF's letter said, according to the Sunday Mail.
In a separate article, the Sunday Mail quoted Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa as saying the Zanu-PF had rejected an offer from Mr Tsvangirai to form a national unity government, but Mr Biti denied that an offer had been made.
Before the High Court judge on Sunday, MDC lawyer Alec Muchadehama said the results "must be announced forthwith", as they had been available since 30 March.
But ZEC lawyer George Chikumbirike said the court's remit did not include ruling on the case - only ZEC could adjudicate.
The court is to rule on Monday on whether it has jurisdiction over the case.
The Zanu-PF complaint came hours after the ZEC declared the final results of last week's Senate election. It said Mr Mugabe's party had won 30 seats, with the combined opposition taking the same number.
In the lower house, opposition parties took 109 seats, while Zanu-PF won just 97 - the first time it has failed to win a majority since independence from the UK in 1980.
On Saturday Mr Tsvangirai claimed victory for the first time since the vote, saying figures posted outside polling stations confirmed he had reached the required threshold of more than 50% of the vote to win outright - making a run-off unnecessary.
He also claimed that the country's central bank was printing money "for the finance of violence", and called for dialogue on a peaceful transition.
Mr Mugabe, 84, came to power 28 years ago at independence on a wave of optimism.
But in recent years Zimbabwe has been plagued by the world's highest inflation, as well as acute food and fuel shortages, which correspondents say have driven many voters to back the opposition.
And the story Pete mentioned...
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7335881.stm
Zimbabwean police have arrested at least five officials for allegedly under-counting votes cast for President Robert Mugabe in last month's election.
Police said the election officials have been charged with fraud and criminal abuse of duty, accused of taking nearly 5,000 votes away from Mr Mugabe.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon joined international calls for the urgent release of the results.
The opposition MDC is seeking a court ruling to force publication of results.
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the election by a clear majority.
But Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF is seeking a recount.
On Monday, High Court judge Tendai Uchena dismissed the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's (ZEC) argument that his court did not have jurisdiction and set the case for Tuesday.
The judge said he would decide whether to treat it as an urgent case, before hearing the actual arguments.
If he decides it is urgent, he may rule on Wednesday.
"I think ZEC just wants to delay this whole thing," said opposition lawyer Alec Muchadehama.
The ZEC lawyer said the votes were still being verified, while the ruling party's demands for a recount was also delaying matters.
On Monday, Mr Tsvangirai visited regional powerhouse South Africa, where he met ANC President Jacob Zuma.
No word has emerged from those talks. Mr Mugabe's critics have long urged South Africa to take a tougher line on Zimbabwe's leader over allegations of human rights abuses.
Government ministers have said the arrested election officials were paid to falsify the election results.
They say the results posted outside polling stations showed more votes for Mr Mugabe than the forms forwarded to Harare for counting.
"That's absolute rubbish," MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti told the BBC's Network Africa programme.
"That's the desperate act of a dinosaur regime that has lost an election," he said.
Mr Biti said that anyone who worked for the ZEC was carefully vetted by the authorities.
He also urged the international community, and African leaders in particular, to press Mr Mugabe to accept defeat, saying otherwise there could be "bloodshed".
"They want to see dead bodies before they send Kofi Annan," he said, referring to recent violence over disputed elections in Kenya.
On Monday, two foreign nationals accused of working as journalists without accreditation were freed on bail and are due to appear in court again on Thursday.
Earlier, Mr Mugabe called on the black population to ensure white farmers did not regain seized land, reports say.
He said black Zimbabweans could not afford to "retreat in the battle for land", the Herald newspaper said.
"Land must remain in our hands. The land is ours, it must not be allowed to slip back into the hands of whites," he is quoted as saying.
At least 18 of Zimbabwe's few remaining white-owned farms have been invaded since Saturday, farmers say, raising fears of renewed violence ahead of a possible run-off in the presidential election.
In 2000, there were 4,000 white farmers working on much of the best land in Zimbabwe.
Just 300 now remain after a campaign of often violent land seizures, with the land redistributed to black farmers.
The government says the land reform programme was needed to right colonial era wrongs, when black villagers were evicted from the most fertile land.
The opposition says the farm invasions were a pretext to intimidate people in rural areas and has led to economic ruin.
This year's election campaign was relatively peaceful but the MDC fears that the new land invasions are a precursor to another campaign of violence.
Some say the occupations have taken place in rural areas, which voted for the opposition.
Police said the election officials have been charged with fraud and criminal abuse of duty, accused of taking nearly 5,000 votes away from Mr Mugabe.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon joined international calls for the urgent release of the results.
The opposition MDC is seeking a court ruling to force publication of results.
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the election by a clear majority.
But Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF is seeking a recount.
On Monday, High Court judge Tendai Uchena dismissed the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's (ZEC) argument that his court did not have jurisdiction and set the case for Tuesday.
The judge said he would decide whether to treat it as an urgent case, before hearing the actual arguments.
If he decides it is urgent, he may rule on Wednesday.
"I think ZEC just wants to delay this whole thing," said opposition lawyer Alec Muchadehama.
The ZEC lawyer said the votes were still being verified, while the ruling party's demands for a recount was also delaying matters.
On Monday, Mr Tsvangirai visited regional powerhouse South Africa, where he met ANC President Jacob Zuma.
No word has emerged from those talks. Mr Mugabe's critics have long urged South Africa to take a tougher line on Zimbabwe's leader over allegations of human rights abuses.
Government ministers have said the arrested election officials were paid to falsify the election results.
They say the results posted outside polling stations showed more votes for Mr Mugabe than the forms forwarded to Harare for counting.
"That's absolute rubbish," MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti told the BBC's Network Africa programme.
"That's the desperate act of a dinosaur regime that has lost an election," he said.
Mr Biti said that anyone who worked for the ZEC was carefully vetted by the authorities.
He also urged the international community, and African leaders in particular, to press Mr Mugabe to accept defeat, saying otherwise there could be "bloodshed".
"They want to see dead bodies before they send Kofi Annan," he said, referring to recent violence over disputed elections in Kenya.
On Monday, two foreign nationals accused of working as journalists without accreditation were freed on bail and are due to appear in court again on Thursday.
Earlier, Mr Mugabe called on the black population to ensure white farmers did not regain seized land, reports say.
He said black Zimbabweans could not afford to "retreat in the battle for land", the Herald newspaper said.
"Land must remain in our hands. The land is ours, it must not be allowed to slip back into the hands of whites," he is quoted as saying.
At least 18 of Zimbabwe's few remaining white-owned farms have been invaded since Saturday, farmers say, raising fears of renewed violence ahead of a possible run-off in the presidential election.
In 2000, there were 4,000 white farmers working on much of the best land in Zimbabwe.
Just 300 now remain after a campaign of often violent land seizures, with the land redistributed to black farmers.
The government says the land reform programme was needed to right colonial era wrongs, when black villagers were evicted from the most fertile land.
The opposition says the farm invasions were a pretext to intimidate people in rural areas and has led to economic ruin.
This year's election campaign was relatively peaceful but the MDC fears that the new land invasions are a precursor to another campaign of violence.
Some say the occupations have taken place in rural areas, which voted for the opposition.
That's the one; cheers Neko. Get the sense he's getting more and more desperate.