Harare — Long queues continued on Sunday in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, for the second and final official day of voting in the country's presidential election. Most polling stations reopened at 7am (0500 GMT). But others were obliged to stay open late into the night on Saturday and early on Sunday to cater for the huge numbers of voters who had not been able cast their ballot before the 7pm (1700 GMT) closing time.
Saturday voting ending in disarray, strained tempers and even violence at some polling stations, after long hours of waiting by tens of thousands of would-be voters in a slow process that degenerated into chaos in some areas. The situation prompted an immediate demand by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) for an extension of polling.
Foreign observers have expressed their concern about the delays. The United States embassy in Harare urged Mugabe's government to take urgent action to ensure that everyone had the chance to vote.
Zimbabwe's justice minister, Patrick Chinamasa, indicated on Saturday during media interviews that the government would consider an extension. "Everyone who wants to vote will be allowed to vote. If it becomes necessary, we will consider extending the voting period," he told Reuters news agency and added, in an interview with the BBC, that this extension could last two days or more.
That position was contradicted, Sunday, by the information minister, Jonathan Moyo: "As we speak right now, there are no national circumstances warranting an extension of the voting," Moyo told state radio.
The MDC, led by the main presidential challenger, Morgan Tsvangirai who turned 50 on Sunday, said it would petition the high court to seek an extension of the poll, to give tens of thousands of people, frustrated by long delays, the opportunity to vote.
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On Saturday, Tsvangirai accused the government of deliberately slowing down the process in the capital, Harare, and other opposition strongholds, to favour President Robert Mugabe's chances of winning the election.
But Moyo played down evidence of high voter attendance in Harare and other urban areas on Saturday. He told state radio that huge queues did not necessarily signify a massive turnout, suggesting instead that the long lines were a result of the reduced number of polling stations in the capital, and the simultaneous mayoral and city council elections in Harare.
"We should not think that Harare is Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe is Harare. Suggestions that there is a massive turnout in Harare "are really pictures painted by people with creative imaginations," said Moyo.
Voting was due to end on Sunday at 7pm, local time.
