Cavaz
02-04-2008, 12:29 PM
Zimbabwe's opposition movement is claiming its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has beaten Robert Mugabe in the country's presidential elections.
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1666184.jpg Morgan Tsvangirai
Secretary-general of the Movement for Democratic Change Tendai Biti said Mr Tsvangirai had won 50.3% of the vote while President Mugabe had won 43.8%.
"That means he (Tsvangirai) is above the 50% threshold needed to avoid a run-off," Mr Biti said.
"Put simply, he has won this election... Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is the next president of the Republic of Zimbabwe."
The MDC also claims to have won a majority over Mr Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF in parliamentary elections, which took place at the same time over the weekend.
Mr Biti said that, based on the party's own tallies, it had won a total of 110 seats, including 11 lawmakers who are part of a splinter faction that is not loyal to Mr Tsvangirai.
President Mugabe's party had won 96 seats, he added.
However, Zanu-PF official Bright Matonga, Zimbabwe's deputy minister of information, told Sky News the MDC had been "very mischievous" in announcing a result.
"Only the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (can) make an announcement," he said. "They can stay whatever they like, but it's just wishful thinking.
"President Mugabe is going nowhere. We are not going to be pressurised into anything."
Moments before the announcement, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told the House of Commons that the delay in releasing the result of the weekend's poll was a deliberate and cynical tactic by Mr Mugabe's officials.
"There is an international consensus that the will of the Zimbabwean people must be properly revealed and respected," he added.
Sky News foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall said: "Mugabe may choose to go down fighting, he may not.
"The people around him that look around nervously - colonels, generals, police chiefs, riot squad commanders, people in finance, people in industry - they're all looking at each other and saying, 'Which way are you going to go?'
"And if you put enough pressure on them, and they start to jump ship, the pressure goes on Mugabe - they stop answering the phone when he asks to get the riot squads on the streets... the regime starts to crack.
"It's not just Mugabe's decision any more, it's about the people around him."
Mr Mugabe came to power 28 years ago when Zimbabwe achieved independence, but the economy has been in freefall over recent years.
Inflation is running at more than 100,000%, there are food and fuel shortages, and life expectancy has dropped to just 35 years.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1311440,00.html
http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1666184.jpg Morgan Tsvangirai
Secretary-general of the Movement for Democratic Change Tendai Biti said Mr Tsvangirai had won 50.3% of the vote while President Mugabe had won 43.8%.
"That means he (Tsvangirai) is above the 50% threshold needed to avoid a run-off," Mr Biti said.
"Put simply, he has won this election... Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is the next president of the Republic of Zimbabwe."
The MDC also claims to have won a majority over Mr Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF in parliamentary elections, which took place at the same time over the weekend.
Mr Biti said that, based on the party's own tallies, it had won a total of 110 seats, including 11 lawmakers who are part of a splinter faction that is not loyal to Mr Tsvangirai.
President Mugabe's party had won 96 seats, he added.
However, Zanu-PF official Bright Matonga, Zimbabwe's deputy minister of information, told Sky News the MDC had been "very mischievous" in announcing a result.
"Only the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (can) make an announcement," he said. "They can stay whatever they like, but it's just wishful thinking.
"President Mugabe is going nowhere. We are not going to be pressurised into anything."
Moments before the announcement, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told the House of Commons that the delay in releasing the result of the weekend's poll was a deliberate and cynical tactic by Mr Mugabe's officials.
"There is an international consensus that the will of the Zimbabwean people must be properly revealed and respected," he added.
Sky News foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall said: "Mugabe may choose to go down fighting, he may not.
"The people around him that look around nervously - colonels, generals, police chiefs, riot squad commanders, people in finance, people in industry - they're all looking at each other and saying, 'Which way are you going to go?'
"And if you put enough pressure on them, and they start to jump ship, the pressure goes on Mugabe - they stop answering the phone when he asks to get the riot squads on the streets... the regime starts to crack.
"It's not just Mugabe's decision any more, it's about the people around him."
Mr Mugabe came to power 28 years ago when Zimbabwe achieved independence, but the economy has been in freefall over recent years.
Inflation is running at more than 100,000%, there are food and fuel shortages, and life expectancy has dropped to just 35 years.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1311440,00.html