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Opposition reunites in Zimbabwe | Opposition reunites in Zimbabwe |
(30 minutes later) | |
Zimbabwe's rival opposition factions say they have reunited, declaring they have a majority in parliament. | Zimbabwe's rival opposition factions say they have reunited, declaring they have a majority in parliament. |
The announcement was jointly made by Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, whose faction split in 2005. | The announcement was jointly made by Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, whose faction split in 2005. |
The final results of parliamentary and presidential polls have still not been published - more than four weeks after the elections. | The final results of parliamentary and presidential polls have still not been published - more than four weeks after the elections. |
Mr Tsvangirai says he beat President Robert Mugabe outright in the polls. | Mr Tsvangirai says he beat President Robert Mugabe outright in the polls. |
But independent monitors and Mr Mugabe's allies say that neither candidate passed the threshold of more than 50% of the vote required to be declared the president. | |
Representatives of the presidential candidates are set to meet the electoral commission to review the results of the disputed presidential election. | |
Mugabe 'cannot be president' | Mugabe 'cannot be president' |
At a joint news conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mr Tsvangirai and Mr Mutambara announced that they were now working together. | At a joint news conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mr Tsvangirai and Mr Mutambara announced that they were now working together. |
This meant that President Mugabe's Zanu-PF party was now in the minority, they said. | This meant that President Mugabe's Zanu-PF party was now in the minority, they said. |
"Mugabe should concede that he cannot be president without controlling the parliament," Mr Tsvangirai said. | |
"The old man must go and have an honourable exit." | |
The opposition announcement is a significant move, the BBC's Peter Greste in Johannesburg says. | The opposition announcement is a significant move, the BBC's Peter Greste in Johannesburg says. |
Over the weekend, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission released results which confirmed that Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since independence in 1980. | |
ZEC spokesman Utoile Silaigwana told Reuters news agency that the final five parliamentary results had been collated and would be published on Tuesday. | |
In the presidential race, the Mutambara faction supported former Finance Minister Simba Makoni, who is estimated to have won about 8% of the vote. | |
Correspondents say that the MDC's reunification would make it harder for Mr Mugabe to win any run-off, although Mr Tsvangirai says he would not take part. | |
He says the delay is intended to give Mr Mugabe's supporters time to intimidate opposition supporters in rural areas. | |
This is strongly denied by Zanu-PF officials, who accuse the opposition of exaggerating the scale of the violence. | |
The MDC had predicted that the recount of 23 parliamentary results would be fixed in order to let Zanu-PF retain its majority. | |
Zanu-PF spokesman Bright Matonga said the results showed that Zimbabwe's electoral system was "transparent". | |
The MDC says 15 of its supporters have been killed since the elections. | |
More than 200 of its activists were arrested during a police raid on its Harare headquarters last Friday. | More than 200 of its activists were arrested during a police raid on its Harare headquarters last Friday. |
A judge has ordered that they should either be charged or set free, following an MDC petition. | A judge has ordered that they should either be charged or set free, following an MDC petition. |
The police said they were looking for suspects involved in attacks on ruling party supporters but the MDC said those arrested had fled their homes after being victims of attacks. |