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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Zimbabwe announces poll results | Zimbabwe announces poll results |
| (20 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. |
| A spokesman for Mr Mugabe said the result brought no surprises. | |
| But Mr Tsvangirai's party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), 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. This whole thing is a scandal, scandalous daylight robbery and everyone knows that Nelson ChamisaMDC spokesman | |
| Chief Elections Officer Lovemore Sekeramayi said former Finance Minister Simba Makoni came third with 8.3%. | 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. | 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. |
| A spokesman for Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF, Bright Matonga, told the BBC that both the main parties had been aware that no-one had won outright. | |
| "That has now been confirmed, there's no outright winner, pointing to a run-off," he said. | |
| "The laws of Zimbabwe and the constitution clearly states that for one to be an outright winner they have to achieve 50 plus one per cent. If no-one achieves that, then there's going to be a run-off so we are following our constitution, not people's wishes." | |
| Court bid | Court bid |
| Mr Tsvangirai has in the past said he would not take part in a run-off unless international observers were involved. | |
| But the MDC insists there is no need for a run-off. | 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 MDC spokesman Nelson 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." | "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". | 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. |