Zimbabwe state media rebuffs runoff detractors

[June 28, 2008]  HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Zimbabwe's state-run newspaper said Saturday that masses turned out for the country's presidential runoff in "a slap in the face for detractors" although a foreign observer said turnout was low and many who voted deliberately spoiled their ballots.

Longtime President Robert Mugabe was the only candidate in Friday's widely discredited runoff, which was condemned as a sham by African and other world leaders. Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the race after an onslaught of state-sponsored violence against his Movement for Democratic Change.

The Herald, Zimbabwe's state newspaper, reported that turnout for the election was "massive." A newspaper commentary Saturday said it may have been a record turnout, which would be "a slap in the face for detractors who claimed this was a 'Mugabe election' that did not have the blessing of the generality of Zimbabweans."

But Marwick Khumalo, head of the Pan-African Parliament observer mission, said Saturday that turnout was "very, very low" and that the election had been marred by a high number of ballots deliberately spoiled by voters.

The election saw high levels of intimidation with residents saying they were forced to vote by threats of violence or arson from the Mugabe supporters, who patrolled the streets in search of anyone without an ink-stained finger - the telltale sign that they had cast a ballot.

"There was a lot of intimidation for people to vote," said Khumalo, a lawmaker from Swaziland. "You can tell people just wanted to get the indelible ink to protect themselves from the hooligans."

Counting went on through the night and electoral officials on Saturday were collating results. It was not clear when results will be released, though the earliest announcement could come Saturday with a finally tally released Sunday.

There were a number of votes cast for Tsvangirai, whose name remained on the ballot because election officials said his withdrawal on Sunday came too late.

Khumalo said at one voting station in rural Matabeleland, 36 votes were cast for Mugabe, 17 for Tsvangirai and there were 31 spoiled ballots.

In one Harare voting station, 107 votes were cast for Mugabe, 76 for Tsvangirai and there were 30 spoiled ballots, he said.

Khumalo said he saw many ballot papers that had been defaced, some with "We will not vote" written on them.

"One can believe that it was the same scenario in other areas," he said.

The U.N. Security Council Friday unanimously "agreed that the conditions for free and fair elections did not exist and it was a matter of deep regret that elections went ahead," said U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, who is current council president.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called the vote a "sham," and said the United States was drafting a U.N. resolution calling for tough action against Zimbabwe's government to prevent it from further abusing the country's population.

Rice declined to specify what will be in the proposed resolution, which could be submitted as early as Monday, but said there "has to be a deterrent effect from the international community at this point to (halt) further intimidation, further violence against the population."

But African foreign ministers meeting in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh said Saturday that getting Mugabe and Zimbabwe's opposition to talk will have better results than punitive measures.

Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Watangula says the route of sanctions may not be helpful for the southern African country.

Tsvangirai said he still wanted negotiations about a transitional authority for Zimbabwe but was not sure whether he could talk with Mugabe, 84.

Mugabe, who has been president since independence in 1980, offered an olive branch to the opposition Thursday, saying he was "open to discussion" with them.

Shortly after voting, Mugabe told Southern African Development Community observers he was confident he would be victorious, a spokesman for the key regional bloc said on Angolan state radio.

Tsvangirai was first in a field of four in the March vote, an embarrassment to Mugabe. The official tally said he did not gain the votes necessary to avoid a runoff against Mugabe. Tsvangirai's party and its allies also won control of parliament in March, dislodging Mugabe's party for the first time since independence in 1980.

[Associated Press; By ANGUS SHAW]

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