Zimbabwe Starts Verifying Presidential Results, ZEC Urges Patience

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said Wednesday that it had now started verifying long-awaited results of presidential elections held on March 29 and pleaded with Zimbabweans for patience.

The ZEC said it was now collating results from the country’s 10 provinces before announcing the winner of the presidential elections.

“We, therefore, urge the electorate to remain patient while we go through this meticulous process,” ZEC said.

Delays in announcing results of the presidential contest have triggered speculation about a possible plot to rig the elections in favour of President Robert Mugabe and his ruling ZANU PF party.

Opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has already claimed victory and Tuesday accused Mugabe of trying to steal the 2008 elections like he did in previous presidential polls in 2002.

Independent election observers have also declared Tsvangirai the winner although they say he could face a second round run-off against Mugabe after failing to garner at least 51 percent as required under Zimbabwean law.

As at 0700 GMT on Wednesday, Mugabe’s ZANU PF was leading Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change by one seat after winning 92 House of Assembly seats against the MDC’s 91 seats.

So far, the outcome of House of Assembly polls in 188 constituencies has been announced, leaving 19 more results to be released.

Elections in three of the 210 House of Assembly constituencies were postponed following the deaths of MDC candidates. New election dates would be set within 90 days.

Source African Press Agency

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