Opposition denies talks with Mugabe

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s opposition leader says his party is not in discussions with President Robert Mugabe’s team on the longtime leader relinquishing power.

Earlier, a businessman close to the electoral commission and a lawyer close to the opposition said such talks were under way.

But opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said late today: “There are no discussions.”

The opposition has claimed victory in Saturday’s elections. But officials have yet to release results from the presidential vote.

The secretary-general of Tsvangirai’s party, Tendai Biti, had earlier dismissed the reports, saying “It’s rubbish” before hanging up.

Independent observers say trends indicate Tsvangirai won the most votes in the presidential race, but not enough to avoid a runoff — a prospect that could be humiliating to the 84-year-old president.

No returns from the presidential vote have been made public, fueling fears of rigging. Mugabe has been accused of stealing past elections, though that was before Zimbabwe’s economy collapsed and leading members of his own party openly defied him.

The electoral commission has released results for 142 of the 210 parliamentary seats — giving Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change 72 seats, including five for a breakaway faction, and 70 for Mugabe’s party.

John Makumbe, a political scientist at the University of Zimbabwe, said he had learned from military sources that they would honor the results of the elections. The security chiefs last week warned they would not serve anybody but Mugabe and would not tolerate an opposition victory.

Tsvangirai today postponed his first public statement since the elections until later in the day. His spokesman George Shibotshiwe said that was because the opposition party had received “a tremendous breakthrough in the numbers coming in” from the elections.

The opposition already has claimed victory in the elections based on results posted outside polling stations, including in several rural strongholds of Mugabe. The initiative to display the results on voting station doors was part of an agreement between the parties negotiated by South African President Thabo Mbeki, and could make it more difficult to cheat.

The European Union said it wants Mugabe to step down to spare his nation political turmoil.

“If Mr. Mugabe continues, there will be a coup d’etat,” said Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitri Rupel, whose country holds the EU presidency. He said he hoped Mugabe “is on his way out.”