Mugabe announces date of presidential run-off with Morgan Tsvangirai

by amyjudd | May 17, 2008 at 06:04 am | 123 views | add comment

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June 27 is the date Zimbabwe's presidential election run-off will be held, as Mugabe admitted that the first-round results had been 'disastrous' for his party.

The new date is just within the limit of a deadline imposed by the election commission earlier this week, and restricts the possibility of legal challenges to the election.

The commission said Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, beat Mr Mugabe in the first round on March 29 but failed to secure more than 50 per cent of the vote needed to avoid a run-off.

Mr Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party has already taken advantage of the delays since the first poll to launch a campaign of violence.

Analysts say it is intended to intimidate voters into abandoning the MDC, and forcing them from their homes so that they will not be able to vote.
Noel Kututwa, chairman of the independent Zimbabwe Election Support Network, said that in the current climate "the legitimacy of that election will be called into question".

Mr Mugabe, who insiders say was deeply shocked by his coming second to the MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai in March, signalled that Zanu-PF would pull out all the stops to ensure his victory in June.