Verification of Zimbabwe Presidential Election Results Begins in Harare

Verification of Zimbabwe’s presidential election results began in the capital on Thursday amid optimism that the month-long electoral stand-off could be coming to an end. Representatives of the four candidates that contested the March 29 presidential poll converged at a Harare hotel starting at 10am to verify tallies compiled by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

The final results are expected to be announced next week.

The delay in announcing the presidential election outcome has kept Zimbabweans and the world guessing about who the country’s next leader is.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has claimed its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, must be declared Zimbabwe’s next leader after winning more than 50 percent of the votes in a four-corner tussle that also included President Robert Mugabe, former finance minister Simba Makoni and independent candidate, Langton Towungana.

Observers say the delay in the announcement of the presidential results and a subsequent partial recount of ballots in some disputed constituencies that ended Monday were a ploy by ZANU PF to doctor the outcome to deny Tsvangirai an outright victory.

Zimbabwean law requires the winner of presidential elections to garner at least 50 percent-plus-one vote to avoid a second round contest against the second placed opponent.

The MDC says Tsvangirai won by 53.5 percent.

Source African Press Agency

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