Dumisani Muleya
2 April 2008
ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe lost the weekend's closely contested presidential election and is desperately looking for a "safe exit", say sources close to the election process.
This comes as pressure mounted last night for him to release the results.
Sources said Mugabe lost the election to main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai by 49% -43%.
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network said Tsvangirai was projected to get the most votes, with 49,4%, trailed by Mugabe with 41,8%.
If no candidate gets more than 50%, a run-off election must be held within three weeks.
Though Mugabe's ruling Zanu (PF) was last night leading with 69 parliamentary seats to the MDC's 67, it was eventually expected to lose control of parliament to the MDC and its allies.
The other MDC faction, led by Arthur Mutambara, has so far won five seats. There is one independent candidate who won a seat. This means Zanu (PF) trails overall in the parliamentary race. Sources said Zanu (PF) and the MDC could end up with 98 seats each, with the other constituencies going to Mutambara's faction and independents.
There are concerns that Mugabe and his party are delaying the release of results to create room for manipulation.
Mugabe said during voting on Saturday he did not want a second round of voting because it was not a "boxing match".
He said he would go if defeated instead of facing a run-off. The US, Canada, Britain and the European Union (EU) yesterday urged Mugabe to allow the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to announce the winner of the presidential election.
Mugabe, who has not commented on the elections or been seen in public since voting on Saturday, had blocked the ZEC from releasing the results because he lost, sources said.
He was trying to find the best way to deal with the situation, they said.
"That Mugabe lost this election is no longer in doubt," a source said. "The question is, when will he concede defeat? Will he concede defeat and quit, or face a run-off since no candidate won an outright majority?
"The reason results are withheld is to give him enough time to find a safe exit. We are going through a transition from the Mugabe era to a new dispensation. That's what is happening."
Mugabe's options are clear: to concede defeat and leave quietly; get into a run-off which he is expected to lose; or find a "safe exit".
He can also hold talks with the opposition to negotiate a settlement and form a government of national unity.
Yesterday, sources said UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown had phoned southern African leaders, including President Thabo Mbeki, to urge them to encourage Mugabe to concede defeat and quit or face a run-off.
"Brown has spoken to leaders in the region, including Mbeki, to engage Mugabe to concede defeat," a source said. "Mbeki has in turn got in touch with Mugabe over the issue and talks are under way on how to manage the situation. Mbeki could be on his way to Harare soon to talk to Mugabe."
Brown yesterday said results should "come forward soon as the world is watching closely, wanting to be sure that everything is done fairly and ... in the right way".
State department spokesman Tom Casey said the US was "concerned by the slow pace of the official tabulation," urging the electoral commission "to release the results, including the presidential election returns, as quickly as possible."
Foreign ministers of seven European Union countries called on the commission to "swiftly announce all official election results, especially … of the presidential election".
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I appreciate the efforts by the international community for calling Mugabe to release the results. Zimbawe does not live in isolation. The Ziom crises has affetced all these countries, they have many Zimbabweans who are fleeing to their countries and they have a stake on the Zimbabwean elections. Who are you to determine who should talk abt Zimbabwe. Do you know how much we are suffering in foreign countries, have you ever experienced what it feels like to be in Zimbabwe. Do you know how it feels to know that you canot have dreams all because of one man an… [Read Full Text]
sonyroll donot insul;t the suffering Zimbabweans like me by saying tha rubish!
use your brains mate..the EU contrys just want to help you and your destroyed country to come out of all this..you chud be happy to know that european countrys still loock after you other wise you'll b dead by nom..lol
Mr. Otto, dont forget what 300 years of slaving Africans contributed to Europe. And you also never forget what over 100 years of colonialism did to present day Africa. Please for the sake of peace on earth dont open up old woulds! Eu has much to blame as Africa itself over its state of affairs. Please find a book by Michela Wrong on Congo DR, you will understand what I mean. Over Zimbabwe, Mugabe's main problem is overstaying in power! But it is good that he gave the opposition a good run! It wouldnt have been good democracy to just… [Read Full Text]
Mugabe's only mistake was overstaying in power otherwise he did some great things in Zimbabwe. After Independence Zimbabwe became one of the countries in Africa with the most educated population, thanks to Bob. He is and remains the only African leader with the courage to take on the selfish white minority in Zimbabwe who controlled about 80% of the arable land leaving 20% to the black majority who constituted 80% of the the population. After this courageous move in 2000 the Western world came together to punish Zimbabwe by imposing economic sanctions so that no other African Leader follows suit… [Read Full Text]
thanks to Mugabe Zimbabwe has had successful education. He fights those from the western morld because hes the only African leader who realises that the reason Africa is destitute and will continue to be destitute is because of them(the western world). They use all our resources leaving us with nothing, then give us aid and pretend to care. they are thieves because the money they give to us rightfully belongs to us. if African leaders wre more like Bob the western world would be in trouble. We would not be dictated to and we would not be giving away valuable… [Read Full Text]
Your obviously one of his cronies, or you have been severely brainwashed by Mugabe's propoganda. please explain to the whole world why Mugabe fights the Western world? the only battle he should be having is on the political front with Morgan. But first he turned the people of Zim against him, then he had to fill all the heads of the suckers claims to look after with propaganda. that propaganda just happened to be the slagging of the western world. you have quite obviously got your head stuck up your ass or Mugabe's ass that far, that it has made… [Read Full Text]
Another delusional African!
and who sold those slaves? who captured them? competing tribes did. No-one denies the trade in slaves was and IS disgusting, But acknowledge your own part in that evil. Colonialism ended years ago, what have you done since? Instead of fighting each other and blaming the West, get on with building peace and freedom yourselves. Instead of blaming the West get rid of tyrants like Mugabe who bleed you dry and cripple your economy. You want the West to provide aid when you have famine yet you blame the West for all your ills. Well I for one… [Read Full Text]
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Are those members of the European Union more African or Zimbabwean than the people of Zimbabwe themselves? Who gave them the moral standing to be urging the swift release of results in an independent country? Are they sure that all votes have been properly counted or are they just so eager to see Mugabe out? When has an African government ever forced the release of elections in a European country? Let us learn to respect the sovereignty of other countries, please!