HARARE—Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF will launch a legal challenge to 52 parliamentary seats won by the opposition MDC, a party official said on Friday.
ZANU-PF chief election agent Emmerson Mnangagwa said ruling party candidates had filed petitions in court related to 52 constituencies. The MDC won 99 seats in the March 29 elections, compared to the ruling party's 97 and 10 won by a breakaway MDC faction.
"The presidential result as announced do not reflect the genuine expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people given the many anomalies, malpractices, deflation of figures relating to ZANU-PF candidates," Mnangagwa told reporters.
U.S. Doubts Fairness of Any Zimbabwe Run-Off
WASHINGTON—The United States said on Friday it was skeptical a fair run-off election could be held in Zimbabwe and that government-backed repression of the opposition must stop before any new round of voting.
Casting strong doubt on election results released on Friday after more than a month of delay, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said: "This isn't a case of better late than never."
"That final tally, I think, has rather serious credibility problems given the inexplicably long delays and some of the post-election irregularities that have occurred."
BRUSSELS—The European Commission called on Friday for Zimbabwe to allow international monitors to ensure a free and fair presidential run-off after the electoral body there said no clear winner emerged from the first round.
"We call for an international observation presence right from the start of the proceedings," the EU executive body said in a statement, insisting that the second round must be "free and fair and run in the correct way".
Earlier, Zimbabwe's electoral commission said opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai defeated President Robert Mugabe in the March 29 presidential election but failed to win an outright majority, paving the way for a run-off.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won the country's March 29 presidential vote but Zimbabwe's electoral commission said it faced a second round because opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai failed to score an absolute majority.
Casey questioned whether it was possible to hold a run-off poll when Tsvangirai and his supporters were harassed and abused by officials from the government of President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled since independence from Britain.
"We certainly as a starting point need to see the government cease the kinds of actions it has been taking against the opposition before being able to think or be able to talk about a run-off election," Casey told reporters.
He said the United States would consult closely with other countries in the region over how to proceed.
Washington has voiced strong displeasure over what it sees as unconvincing attempts by neighbor South Africa to resolve the electoral impasse in Zimbabwe, which has suffered an economic collapse.
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