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| Mugabe’s Party Appears Headed for Parliamentary Victory in Zimbabwe | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| HARARE, Zimbabwe — The party of Robert G. Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s long-ruling president, appeared to be on track to win a huge majority in Parliament after Wednesday’s elections, the Zimbabwe Election Commission announced Friday, allowing it to recapture parliamentary control from its main challenger, the Movement for Democratic Change. | HARARE, Zimbabwe — The party of Robert G. Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s long-ruling president, appeared to be on track to win a huge majority in Parliament after Wednesday’s elections, the Zimbabwe Election Commission announced Friday, allowing it to recapture parliamentary control from its main challenger, the Movement for Democratic Change. |
| The partial results were announced as African election observers on Friday presented a mixed report on the voting, saying that while it had been peaceful and orderly, serious problems were detected, including voters being turned away, too many ballots being printed and bias in the news media. | The partial results were announced as African election observers on Friday presented a mixed report on the voting, saying that while it had been peaceful and orderly, serious problems were detected, including voters being turned away, too many ballots being printed and bias in the news media. |
| But monitors from the African Union and the Southern African Development Community, a regional trade bloc, concluded that the problems were not serious enough to invalidate the election. | But monitors from the African Union and the Southern African Development Community, a regional trade bloc, concluded that the problems were not serious enough to invalidate the election. |
| “I have never see an election that is perfect,” said Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president of Nigeria who led the African Union delegation, after cataloging the problems that plagued the vote. “We do not believe these instances will add up to the result not reflecting the will of the people.” | “I have never see an election that is perfect,” said Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president of Nigeria who led the African Union delegation, after cataloging the problems that plagued the vote. “We do not believe these instances will add up to the result not reflecting the will of the people.” |
| The regional trade bloc echoed this conclusion, calling the election “free and peaceful,” but officials stopped short of calling it fair, saying further investigation into the process was needed. | The regional trade bloc echoed this conclusion, calling the election “free and peaceful,” but officials stopped short of calling it fair, saying further investigation into the process was needed. |
| “We don’t want to jump to conclusions,” said Bernard Membe, Tanzania’s foreign minister and the leader of the observer mission. | “We don’t want to jump to conclusions,” said Bernard Membe, Tanzania’s foreign minister and the leader of the observer mission. |
| Partial results in the local and parliamentary contests have been released by the election commission, but no results in the presidential race have been made public yet. | Partial results in the local and parliamentary contests have been released by the election commission, but no results in the presidential race have been made public yet. |
| Patrick Chinamasa, a senior official of Mr. Mugabe’s party, ZANU-PF, and the minister of justice, said in a news conference that a record number of voters had turned out and given the party a resounding victory. | Patrick Chinamasa, a senior official of Mr. Mugabe’s party, ZANU-PF, and the minister of justice, said in a news conference that a record number of voters had turned out and given the party a resounding victory. |
| “The country had to decide whether to turn left or right, to move forward or back,” Mr. Chinamasa said. “To be swallowed into the beast of the Western countries or stay outside the mouth of the beast. The people have spoken.” | “The country had to decide whether to turn left or right, to move forward or back,” Mr. Chinamasa said. “To be swallowed into the beast of the Western countries or stay outside the mouth of the beast. The people have spoken.” |
| He castigated Morgan Tsvangirai, the main presidential challenger, who on Thursday called the election a “farce” and demanded an investigation by the African Union and the regional trade bloc. | He castigated Morgan Tsvangirai, the main presidential challenger, who on Thursday called the election a “farce” and demanded an investigation by the African Union and the regional trade bloc. |
| “He makes the point the election was a farce, a sham election,” Mr. Chinamasa said. “Really? When 3.95 million people go to vote in cold weather, you call it a sham and a farce?” | “He makes the point the election was a farce, a sham election,” Mr. Chinamasa said. “Really? When 3.95 million people go to vote in cold weather, you call it a sham and a farce?” |
| On Thursday a coalition of local charities that had sent 7,000 observers to the polls said that as many as a million voters were either missing from the registration roll or were turned away from polling stations, casting doubt on the validity of the election. Mr. Chinamasa scoffed at the notion that many people had been disenfranchised. | On Thursday a coalition of local charities that had sent 7,000 observers to the polls said that as many as a million voters were either missing from the registration roll or were turned away from polling stations, casting doubt on the validity of the election. Mr. Chinamasa scoffed at the notion that many people had been disenfranchised. |
| “A million people is the whole of Harare,” Mr. Chinamasa said. “If there is grounds I say to Mr. Tsvangirai, feel free to challenge, take up your grievances with the Constitutional Court.” | “A million people is the whole of Harare,” Mr. Chinamasa said. “If there is grounds I say to Mr. Tsvangirai, feel free to challenge, take up your grievances with the Constitutional Court.” |
| Mr. Tsvangirai and other leaders of the Movement for Democratic Change were in emergency meetings on Friday, trying to decide what to do next, party officials said. | Mr. Tsvangirai and other leaders of the Movement for Democratic Change were in emergency meetings on Friday, trying to decide what to do next, party officials said. |
| “The M.D.C. totally rejects the electoral process and the outcome as announced so far as both were not free and fair,” the party said in a statement. “The Zimbabwean election was a monumental fraud by the state security agents and ZANU-PF.” | “The M.D.C. totally rejects the electoral process and the outcome as announced so far as both were not free and fair,” the party said in a statement. “The Zimbabwean election was a monumental fraud by the state security agents and ZANU-PF.” |
| Under the Constitution, the challengers can go to the Constitutional Court within seven days of the announcement of the final result, but the top court is packed with ZANU-PF loyalists, analysts say, making it unlikely an appeal would succeed. | Under the Constitution, the challengers can go to the Constitutional Court within seven days of the announcement of the final result, but the top court is packed with ZANU-PF loyalists, analysts say, making it unlikely an appeal would succeed. |
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: | This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: |
| Correction: August 2, 2013 | Correction: August 2, 2013 |
An earlier version of this article misstated the given name of Tanzania’s foreign minister. He is Bernard Membe, not Bernande. | An earlier version of this article misstated the given name of Tanzania’s foreign minister. He is Bernard Membe, not Bernande. |