JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) yesterday made clear that it expects the government of neighboring Zimbabwe to accept the results of Saturday’s election, in which the opposition won an outright majority in parliament and could unseat long-ruling President Robert Mugabe.
Final results announced early today gave the combined opposition parties 109 seats in the 210-seat parliament, compared to 97 for Mr. Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), which has been in power since 1980. One independent was elected and three seats remained vacant because of the deaths or withdrawals of candidates.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai appeared close to victory in the presidential vote but could still face a runoff against Mr. Mugabe.
Pretoria’s intervention was striking for its tough tone following years in which South Africa was criticized by human rights organizations for its soft stance toward the Mugabe government.
In a clear call to the Zimbabwe army, whose leaders had stated they might not accept a loss by Mr. Mugabe, the ANC asked “all institutions of state to respect the outcome of the election and work together with the government of the day to earnestly address the challenges the country faces.”
Presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections were held in Zimbabwe on Saturday, but it was only late yesterday, under pressure from Mr. Tsvangirai”s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) that the electoral commission announced some of the results.
Ballots were counted at individual polling stations within hours of the election, and the delay in announcing results promoted fears that ZANU-PF was trying to rig the vote.
Most Western countries, including the United States, refused to accept the outcome of similar elections that returned Mr. Mugabe to power in 2002 and 2005, citing widespread reports of violence, torture and fraud.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced the final results of the parliamentary ballot early today but has still not announced the outcome of the presidential count. Yesterday afternoon, the MDC unilaterally released its own estimate, claiming a victory for Mr. Tsvangirai with 50.3 percent.
MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti read out the figures at a press conference in Harare.
Mr. Mugabe, he said, had secured just 43.8 percent with the remaining votes going to independent candidate Simba Makoni, who defected from ZANU-PF weeks before the election.
If these results are confirmed, it will not be enough to give Mr. Tsvangirai the presidency. A winning candidate must achieve at least 51 percent, otherwise a runoff must be held within 21 days.
The government had warned that any attempt to reveal figures before an official announcement had been made would be “regarded as a coup d”etat.”
Although Zimbabwe’s state-controlled radio and television stations made scant mention of the election on last night”s news bulletins, reports from external radio stations such as Voice of America, had reached Harare and Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo, and crowds were cheering on the street and blowing whistles thought to have been distributed by the MDC.
“It is incredible, we are free at last, this will be a new start,” one of the revelers, Mpumelelo Ngwenya said in Bulawayo.
“My family has lost everything the past few years, there is no work, nothing, but we can start again if we know Mugabe has gone.”
Unemployment in Zimbabwe is above 80 percent and the local dollar which at independence from Britain in 1980 was stronger than the American currency now changes hands at Z$38 million to $1.
Diplomatic sources in Harare said there appeared to be confusion within ZANU-PF on how to handle the loss of power, with a small group of hard-liners arguing for the election to be declared null and void.
But with most of landlocked Zimbabwe”s fuel, electricity and other imports passing through South Africa, they said that the warning from Pretoria would likely put an end to any thoughts of hanging on.
Zimbabwe”s northern neighbor, Zambia, has backed up the South African demand for a smooth change of government.
In the capital Lusaka, Defense Minister George Mpombo said last night his government was “monitoring the situation very closely.”
“We hope they will manage the situation properly,” he said.
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