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| Mugabe to attend emergency talks | Mugabe to attend emergency talks |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe will attend an emergency meeting of regional leaders on the presidential poll delay, his deputy information minister says. | Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe will attend an emergency meeting of regional leaders on the presidential poll delay, his deputy information minister says. |
| "If there is a Sadc (Southern African Development Community) meeting, President Mugabe will definitely be there," Bright Matonga said. | "If there is a Sadc (Southern African Development Community) meeting, President Mugabe will definitely be there," Bright Matonga said. |
| The opposition says its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the election outright. | The opposition says its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the election outright. |
| It has accused the government of using the delay to engineer a second-round victory for Mr Mugabe. | It has accused the government of using the delay to engineer a second-round victory for Mr Mugabe. |
| Zambia's President Levy Mwanawasa, who chairs the 14-nation Sadc grouping, called the emergency meeting for Saturday. | Zambia's President Levy Mwanawasa, who chairs the 14-nation Sadc grouping, called the emergency meeting for Saturday. |
| Zambian Information Minister Mike Mulongoti told the BBC that Mr Mugabe's presence would not necessarily be helpful. There is no crisis in Zimbabwe that warrants a special meeting on Zimbabwe Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7340204.stm">Harare diary: seeking good omens | |
| "I think the Sadc heads would rather meet to consult on their own without the presence of the people involved in Zimbabwe itself," he said. | "I think the Sadc heads would rather meet to consult on their own without the presence of the people involved in Zimbabwe itself," he said. |
| The Movement for Democratic Change's leader, Mr Tsvangirai, is touring southern Africa in a bid to get regional leaders to put pressure on the Zimbabwean government to announce the results of the presidential election. | The Movement for Democratic Change's leader, Mr Tsvangirai, is touring southern Africa in a bid to get regional leaders to put pressure on the Zimbabwean government to announce the results of the presidential election. |
| Meanwhile, the state-run Herald newspaper reports that the ruling Zanu-PF has increased the number constituency results it is contesting from 16 to 21. | Meanwhile, the state-run Herald newspaper reports that the ruling Zanu-PF has increased the number constituency results it is contesting from 16 to 21. |
| In the House of Assembly, Zanu-PF has lost its majority for the first time since independence, with 97 seats against the MDC's 99 in the 210-seat chamber. A smaller MDC faction has 10 seats. | In the House of Assembly, Zanu-PF has lost its majority for the first time since independence, with 97 seats against the MDC's 99 in the 210-seat chamber. A smaller MDC faction has 10 seats. |
| 'Heightened tensions' | |
| Zimbabwe was prepared to brief Sadc of political developments on the ground, Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said, the Herald reports. ELECTION RESULTS SO FAR Presidential results: None so farWinner needs more than 50% to avoid run-off Senate results: Zanu-PF: 30MDC: 24MDC breakaway: 6 | |
| However, he told AP news agency that he felt Saturday's meeting was not necessary. | |
| "There is no crisis in Zimbabwe that warrants a special meeting on Zimbabwe," he said. | |
| The MDC's spokesman in London, Hebson Makuvise, said he believed Sadc would ask Mr Mugabe to give up any claim to the presidency "and allow the country to move on". | |
| "The predicament we have as the opposition is that our neighbours and African Union have always supported Robert Mugabe at the expense of the suffering masses of Zimbabwe," he told the BBC. | |
| South Africa's deputy foreign minister, however, said Zimbabwe "was not a province of South Africa". | |
| "We are not a government who can ask other presidents to step down," AFP news agency quotes Aziz Pahad as telling journalists in Pretoria. | |
| The MDC is still hoping that legal action in the High Court will lead to the immediate release of the presidential results. A ruling is due on Monday. | |
| Independent and ruling party projections say Mr Tsvangirai gained most votes but not the 50% needed to win outright. | |
| The MDC says he gained 50.3% of the vote, but Zanu-PF has demanded a recount of the vote. | |
| Independent presidential candidate Simba Makoni has added his voice to growing concerns over the delays to announce the results of last month's elections. | |
| He said the delay heightened tensions and was not in the best interests of Zimbabweans. | |
| Speaking for the first time since the poll, the former finance said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had closed down operations at its national command centre. | |
| He said that like the MDC he was in the dark regarding the whereabouts of presidential election materials. | |
| Mr Makoni, who is placed third in unofficial results, refused to say who he would back if the election commission announces a run-off. | |
| His support could be vital to either candidate. |