Zimbabwe observers point to runoff vote, suspect possible rigging

(CNN)

Zimbabwe's government Monday began releasing the results of the weekend parliamentary vote, but offered no data on the hotly contested presidential race.

President Robert Mugabe is facing the most formidable challenge to his 28-year rule from two opponents, including his former finance minister, Simba Makoni, who is running as an independent.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change, led by presidential contender Morgan Tsvangirai, announced Sunday that it had won enough votes in Saturday's presidential and parliamentary election to end the 84-year-old incumbent's reign.

But a group of non-governmental organizations monitoring the election released exit polling data Monday that indicated the race possibly headed for a runoff vote.

Noel Kututwa, chairman of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, said that his group's polling data gave Tsvangirai 49.4 percent of the vote -- short of the 51 percent needed to win. Mugabe was second with 41.8 percent, and Makoni third with 8.2 percent.

Election authorities have released no data on the presidential race. Government officials said it takes time to verify and "harmonize" the counts.

The United States, which has raised concerns about election fraud in the southern African country, called on Zimbabwe's government to make sure "the counting of the votes ... ensures the will of the people is heard," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said Monday.

While election observers have urged prompt reporting of the results to avoid political unrest, government officials said it would take time to verify and "harmonize" the counts.

It is unlikely that Mugabe will receive any congratulations from the U.S. if he emerges as the victor.

Speaking to reporters during her trip to the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called the long-time president and his government "a disgrace to the people of Zimbabwe and a disgrace to southern Africa and to the continent of Africa as a whole."

Kututwa said the delay in announcing all the results was "fueling speculation" that Mugabe's government was tampering with the ballot count. His group was monitoring the election.

"This is very worrying," Kututwa said.

Despite the lack of official results, the MDC insisted it had won enough votes to end Mugabe's rule, which has seen the nation slide into economic meltdown.

Defying a government order, the Movement for Democratic Change said it tallied the results posted outside each polling station -- and based on one-third of the returns, that count shows Tsvangirai won 67 percent of the votes, journalists inside Zimbabwe told CNN.

The Zimbabwean government has denied CNN and other international news organizations permission to enter the country to report on the elections.

MDC also claimed it had won the majority of parliamentary seats in Zimbabwe's urban centers, including Harare and Bulawayo. It enjoys widespread support in the cities, while Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has its base in Zimbabwe's rural areas, where white farmers have been driven out.

By Monday evening, just 67 of 210 parliamentary races were released -- ZANU-PF won 31; MDC won 30; and six won by a party that split from the MDC.

Two members of President Robert Mugabe's cabinet -- Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Interactive Affairs Minister Chen Chimutengwende -- lost their seats to the MDC. But Mugabe's nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, won a seat in his uncle's home district.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa held onto his seat in a district of Harare.

Kututwa said some MDC members had been arrested for celebrating in the streets.

MDC leaders began declaring victory just hours into Saturday's vote. But there are concerns that if each side claims victory, tensions could ignite and violence could erupt -- as happened this year in Kenya.

Observers from the South African Democratic Alliance opposition party also said its sources had said the opposition had won a majority in most areas.

"If this is not reflected in the results, this will be yet another indication that the election was rigged," they added.

Critics of the government had predicted voting would be rigged. The United States warned of a possible unfair election, and New York-based Human Rights Watch said the elections were likely to be "deeply flawed."

Makoni, who was expelled from the Zanu-PF after announcing his own bid to unseat Mugabe, said it was "premature to judge that the environment before the balloting has had some impediment."

Makoni said: "We know our people are clear about what they want... We will wait and see the results."

The announcement of results appeared to have been delayed despite election observers saying some results were known on Saturday night, four hours after polls closed. In previous elections, partial results were announced hours after voting ended.

Criticism of Mugabe has grown across Zimbabwe, with unemployment running at 80 percent. Most Zimbabweans survive on less than $1 a day and inflation is the highest in the world at more than 100,000 percent.

People also suffer from chronic shortages of food, water, electricity, fuel and medicine, and thousands of Zimbabweans flood into neighboring countries looking for jobs.

Part of the economic freefall is traced to Mugabe's land redistribution policies, including his controversial seizure of commercially white-owned farms in 2000.

Mugabe gave the land to black Zimbabweans he said were cheated under colonialist rule, and white farmers who resisted were jailed.

In 2005, Mugabe launched Operation Clean Out the Trash, in which he razed slum areas across the country. Mugabe denies mismanagement and blames his country's woes on the West, saying sanctions have harmed the economy.

Mugabe: Zimbabwe opposition trying to create anarchy

By Godfrey Marawanyika

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe accused the opposition of trying to foment anarchy Wednesday as the troubled southern African nation marked the 27th anniversary of its independence from Britain.

In a keynote speech at a packed football stadium in Harare, Mugabe fired a fresh broadside at his foreign critics, including the former colonial power, and accused opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai of being a puppet of the West.

The celebrations have been overshadowed by an economic meltdown and mounting political violence but 83-year-old Mugabe said he would deal with "conspirators" trying to end his 27-year rule with the full force of the law.

"We have observed how of late this conspiracy has attempted to transform into a militant, criminal strain, characterised by the puerile attempts of misguided opposition elements to create a state of anarchy," Mugabe said.

"As government, our message remains clear: that we will never hesitate to deal firmly with those elements who are bent on fomenting anarchy and criminal activities," added Mugabe, who has been in power since the former Rhodesia gained independence on April 18, 1980.

Mugabe, already subject to Western sanctions over allegations he rigged his re-election in 2002, has come in for withering criticism from the United States and the European Union over the recent arrest and assault on senior members of the Movement for Democratic Change, including Tsvangirai.

The president, who has previously said Tsvangirai effectively asked for his treatment, again swatted away accusations he did not tolerate dissent.

"The opposition has all the room for its activities, provided they act legally. Once they start acting illegally they come up against the laws of the country," he said.

Tsvangirai was again accused by Mugabe of being used by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush as part of a campaign to bring about regime change.

"Blair and Bush say they don't recognise the president of Zimbabwe, they don't recognise the elections of 2002 and then Tsvangirai says: 'Yes, I agree with you'. That's where we differ with Tsvangirai," said Mugabe.

"If only he had ideas to improve the welfare of the people we would gladly accept those ideas. The only idea he has is that Mugabe should go and I, Tsvangirai, should come in."

Mugabe delivered his speech at a stadium in Harare's oldest township Mbare, a traditional stronghold of his ZANU-PF party where the first independence celebrations were held 27 years ago.

The 35,000-capacity stadium was full and security guards even had to turn away supporters.

The crowds repeatedly chanted "Gushungo, Gushungo", Mugabe's clan name. Many also held placards bearing messages of support and T-shirts bearing the slogan "Zimbabwe at 27".

Vice President Joyce Mujuru, who has been rumoured to be eyeing the presidency, was among those in attendance but heads of state from other southern African countries were noticeable by their absence.

While regional leaders have been wary of publicly criticising Mugabe, they are increasingly worried about the fallout from a country where inflation is zooming towards 2,000 percent and four out of five people are unemployed.

Tsvangirai was also absent but the MDC said there was little to celebrate.

"We would have wanted to attend this national event but who in his right sense would want to subject themselves to insults and risk being physically attacked," said MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa.

"Independence is about jobs, proper health care, freedom and justice but all these critical ingredients of independence are not there," he added.