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Zimbabwe announces poll results | Zimbabwe announces poll results |
(10 minutes later) | |
The long-awaited results of Zimbabwe's presidential poll have been announced, with the opposition's Morgan Tsvangirai winning 47.9%, forcing a second round. | The long-awaited results of Zimbabwe's presidential poll have been announced, with the opposition's Morgan Tsvangirai winning 47.9%, forcing a second round. |
Election officials say Mr Tsvangirai beat President Robert Mugabe's 43.2%, but both candidates fell short of the 50% needed for an outright win. | Election officials say Mr Tsvangirai beat President Robert Mugabe's 43.2%, but both candidates fell short of the 50% needed for an outright win. |
Mr Tsvangirai's party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), earlier said it would reject the official results. | Mr Tsvangirai's party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), earlier said it would reject the official results. |
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said the result was "scandalous". | |
The MDC accuses Mugabe supporters of rigging the vote and of launching a campaign of intimidation and violence following the elections on 29 March. | |
Chief Elections Officer Lovemore Sekeramayi said former Finance Minister Simba Makoni came third with 8.3%. | |
He said a date for the second round between Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai would be announced later. Correspondents say Mr Makoni is widely expected to back Mr Tsvangirai in any run-off. | |
Court bid | Court bid |
But the MDC insists there is no need for a run-off. | |
"This whole thing is a scandal, scandalous daylight robbery and everyone knows that," said Mr Chamisa. | |
"We won this election outright, and yet what we are being given here as the outcome are some fudged figures meant to save Mugabe and Zanu-PF." | |
The Secretary General of the MDC, Tendai Biti, told the BBC that the process to verify the electoral result was "aborted prematurely" as the MDC was trying to "expose fraud". | |
Mr Biti said the party would go to court to try to declare Mr Tsvangirai the next President of Zimbabwe on the basis that he won more votes than Robert Mugabe. | Mr Biti said the party would go to court to try to declare Mr Tsvangirai the next President of Zimbabwe on the basis that he won more votes than Robert Mugabe. |