WASHINGTON DC —
President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party has declared a landslide victory in the just-ended general election saying bitter rival, Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai, should approach the courts for redress if he is unhappy with the outcome of the poll.
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa told journalists in Harare on Friday that his party appears to have won the presidential, parliamentary, senatorial and council elections by an unprecedented landslide nationwide.
Mr. Chinamasa said President Robert Mugabe is ready to rule and urged those who lost to approach the courts.
“We all know the results. Results were published outside polling stations. Just waiting for ‘pleasure’ of hearing them on television. The indications from Wednesday are that we are going to have an unprecedented landslide victory in this election. This was by any stretch of imagination a crucial election, a watershed election,” he said.
Mr. Chinamasa said turnout was 3.95 million compared to 2.3 million in 2008.
The Zanu PF’s Deputy Secretary for Legal Affairs said the elections were free and peaceful as pronounced by the observers from the Southern African Development Community and the African Union.
He said Mr. Tsvangirai has no basis to declare the elections a sham.
Mr. Chinamaa said if there is no challenge seven days after the announcement of results then the president will be sworn in, adding the new leader should be in office nine days after the announcement of the results.
Chinamasa commended the AU and SADC observer missions for giving what he said was a true assessment of the situation in Zimbabwe.
The two groups have given a thumbs up to the Zimbabwe polls.
He said they decided to exclude observers from Europe and United States saying those countries had imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe and would not give a fair assessment of the situation.
He also accused western countries of funding what he called pirate stations like Studio 7 and voice of the People among others.
Official results show Zanu PF is headed for landslide victory and will proceed with its indigenisation policy.
All observers agree the Zimbabwean polls were conducted in a peaceful environment but differ on whether they can be described as free and fair.
Mr. Tsvangirai has described the election as a big farce, warning that the majority of Zimbabweans are upset about the outcome of the poll.
Results so far released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission show that the former liberation party is leading with wide margins in all regions, including those that were MDC-T strongholds.
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa told journalists in Harare on Friday that his party appears to have won the presidential, parliamentary, senatorial and council elections by an unprecedented landslide nationwide.
Mr. Chinamasa said President Robert Mugabe is ready to rule and urged those who lost to approach the courts.
“We all know the results. Results were published outside polling stations. Just waiting for ‘pleasure’ of hearing them on television. The indications from Wednesday are that we are going to have an unprecedented landslide victory in this election. This was by any stretch of imagination a crucial election, a watershed election,” he said.
Mr. Chinamasa said turnout was 3.95 million compared to 2.3 million in 2008.
The Zanu PF’s Deputy Secretary for Legal Affairs said the elections were free and peaceful as pronounced by the observers from the Southern African Development Community and the African Union.
He said Mr. Tsvangirai has no basis to declare the elections a sham.
Mr. Chinamaa said if there is no challenge seven days after the announcement of results then the president will be sworn in, adding the new leader should be in office nine days after the announcement of the results.
Chinamasa commended the AU and SADC observer missions for giving what he said was a true assessment of the situation in Zimbabwe.
The two groups have given a thumbs up to the Zimbabwe polls.
He said they decided to exclude observers from Europe and United States saying those countries had imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe and would not give a fair assessment of the situation.
He also accused western countries of funding what he called pirate stations like Studio 7 and voice of the People among others.
Official results show Zanu PF is headed for landslide victory and will proceed with its indigenisation policy.
All observers agree the Zimbabwean polls were conducted in a peaceful environment but differ on whether they can be described as free and fair.
Mr. Tsvangirai has described the election as a big farce, warning that the majority of Zimbabweans are upset about the outcome of the poll.
Results so far released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission show that the former liberation party is leading with wide margins in all regions, including those that were MDC-T strongholds.