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INTERNATIONAL UNEASE MOUNTED today over the re-election of Africa’s oldest leader Robert Mugabe in polls denounced by Zimbabwe’s opposition as “stolen”.
Mugabe, 89, in power since 1980, trounced his long-standing rival Morgan Tsvangirai in Wednesday’s polls with 61 percent of the presidential vote while his party swept to a crushing parliamentary majority.
But 61-year-old Tsvangirai, who has unsuccessfully tried to unseat Mugabe three times, condemned the vote as “fraudulent and stolen” and has vowed to challenge it.
Doubts
Western powers have voiced serious doubts about the polls following concerns over irregularities. Germany said the election “casts a big shadow on the political and economic future of Zimbabwe”, while Australia called for new polls.
US Secretary of State John Kerry had described the election as “deeply flawed” and said Washington “does not believe that the results …today represent a credible expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people.”
British Foreign Secretary William Hague added his own “grave concerns” over the conduct of the vote in the former colony.
Observers raised concerns over the availability of the voters roll, the printing of extra ballot papers, and the turning away of voters at polling stations.
With gentler assessments from African observers who nonetheless noted the flaws, President Jacob Zuma of powerful neighbour South Africa offered his “profound congratulations” to Mugabe on Sunday.
Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare. Pic: AP Photo
"President Zuma urges all political parties in Zimbabwe to accept the outcome of the elections as election observers reported it to be an expression of the will of the people," a foreign ministry statement said.
The reaction in Zimbabwe's Sunday press was starkly divided, with state-controlled newspaper The Herald proclaiming "President Mugabe romps to victory", while the independent Daily News headlined, "It's a Crisis".
Polls
The vote marks the end of a tense compromise government between Tsvangirai and Mugabe, forced by bloodstained 2008 polls, that helped steer the isolated nation out of a protracted crisis.
In Harare's oldest township Mbare today, several hundred Mugabe supporters carried a white coffin draped in an MDC flag, with a red knotted scarf placed on top with the inscription "RIP Morgan".
Some carried shovels chanting that they were going to bury Tvangirai's party, the Movement for Democratic Change.
Government
Tsvangirai vowed to challenge the result in court and said the MDC would boycott government institutions. "We will not join government," he said. "We will go to court."
Tsvangirai defended his 2008 decision to enter into an uneasy power-sharing government with Mugabe, who has had him arrested, beaten and charged with treason. "Our participation rescued this country," he said, citing the country's stabilisation after years of meltdown.
But Mugabe's ZANU-PF party says there is no need for the MDC in the new government.
"We have received over 60 percent of the vote, we have two-thirds majority, why would we want to bring someone else on board?" State Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi told AFP.
The MDC now has until Saturday to present evidence of fraud to the constitutional court, but finding a smoking gun may prove difficult. The inauguration is expected within 48 hours of the court's decision.
Zimbabweans queue to cast their votes in the country's general elections in Goromonzi, rural Zimbabwe, on Wednesday July 31, 2013. Pic: AP Photo/Skyler Reid
Tsvangirai said he would submit a dossier of "all irregularities and all the illegalities" to the influential 15-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) and called for an urgent summit.
But Emmerson Mnangagwa, defence minister and a key Mugabe lieutenant, hit back at the accusations, arguing instead that the result was a game-changer.
SADC, which engineered the power-sharing government, said the vote was "free and peaceful" but top SADC election observer Bernard Membe noted: "We did not say it was fair ... we didn't want to jump to a conclusion."
The poll's credibility was further tarnished by the resignation of one of the nine official electoral commissioners.
In a letter seen by AFP, Mkhululi Nyathi quit over "the manner" in which the polls "were proclaimed and conducted".
That mugabe dinosaur belongs in Either a museum or a Jail….megalomaniac fool who cares nothing for the plight of his people or country. …. also a Homophobic, racist bigot
Another failed state in africa ?, the list grows I’m afraid .wait for all the do gooders comments on how its the west fault for it and all the years of foreign rule and we left nothing for the locals ( someone forgot to tell China that ). The people there need to take care of there own govts and run there own states and take ownership of the own problems.
Yet let’s not tar all the nations with the one brush. Countries like Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and even Zambia (Zimbabwe’s neighbour) are growing economically, fully democratic and nice places to live..
He has ruined the country ! I was in Zimbabwe a few years ago after the US dollar was introduced as the new currency. The misery and suffering was shocking – considering that it used to be fairly developed (by African standards) the place has fallen apart, with very few tourists anywhere despite it being a beautiful county ! I imagine it will be 5 more years of the same backwardness that the people of Zimbabwe have to look forward to.
In Zimbabwe they not only see dead people. The Dead vote in their thousands. And thousands more are “assisted” in casting their vote.
I do care as my partner is from Zimbabwe . He is heart broken as to the way the country has gone. He spoke to his friend this morning, who informed him that two of the the white neighbouring farms had both owners being slaughterd in the past five days!!!!
So please David think before you type!!
Cant understand how he has not been popped
Some mug he is!
Good old Uncle Bob did it again!! I am afraid that that nice Uncle Jacob in South Africa is planning the same trick.
Who cares
Mugabe got greedy with his rigging. A 66% majority is way too obvious.
PS . They do have some good leaders and means . It wont be easy . But what is anymore !!!!
Looks like I’m not going home for Christmas.
What does the world expect? He’s a dictator posing for reelection through the sham of a fake election. Hitler was democratically elected in Germany. If there’s one thing we know – Africans cannot govern themselves
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