Recount in Zimbabwe Upholds MDC’s Parliamentary Victory; Presidential Results Still Not Released
By Jane Clark
April 28, 2008

The Washington Post reports that the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party in Zimbabwe has officially won the majority of parliamentary seats after the electoral commission confirmed the results of 10 seats that were under dispute. The Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) has also stated that the results for the presidential election will be released in the next few days unless any of the tallies are challenged. The opposition and independent observers still stand by their statement that MDC candidate Morgan Tsvangirai also won the presidential election. President Robert Mugabe’s party, ZANU-PF, appears to be taking extreme measures to prevent the opposition from winning. In recent days, police raided opposition headquarters and the headquarters of an observation group, looking for evidence that they bribed election officials to rig the results.

As reported in the New York Times on April 28, there has been a continuing crackdown on supporters of the MDC. The primary targets have been citizens living in rural areas. Many have been attacked or have watched as their homes were burned to the ground. Others have been evicted because their support of the opposition makes them the “enemy.” It is speculated that Mugabe’s forces are trying to intimidate opposition supporters before a run-off election.

Westerners in Zimbabwe have also faced threats. An April 27 New York Times story details the experience of journalist Barry Bearak, who was arrested and jailed for several days for “committing journalism.” Because the legal system in Zimbabwe bases its decisions on whatever is most convenient for the government at the time, getting released is subject to the whim of the authorities. Laws that are in place to protect civil rights are frequently ignored. Bearak was finally released because of the lack of evidence against him and a friendly magistrate, but he had to leave the country quickly in order to avoid being rearrested. Many of the Zimbabweans that sit in jail are not as lucky – often they are arrested without being able to notify their families, so they sit in jail without food or legal assistance.

The US envoy to Africa has threatened Zimbabwe with multilateral United Nations sanctions if they do not resolve the post-election crisis, according to Al Jazeera. The Security Council plans to meet this week to discuss the situation. Jendayi Frazer, US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, has been traveling in the region to put pressure on Mugabe to step down. She is opposed to a run-off election, and she has stated that any new government should be headed by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Links:

Washington Post: Zimbabwe Officials Confirm Opposition Win in Parliament

New York Times: Signs of Attacks of Zimbabwe's Opposition

New York Times: In Zimbabwe Jail - A Reporter's Ordeal

Al Jazeera: US Threatens Zimbabwe Sanctions

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