MUGABE -- His party defeated opposition in senate polls

Written by James

Sunday, 06 April 2008 16:37

HARARE - President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU PF party won senate elections with 33 seats against 26 managed by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, according to latest results announced late on Saturday.

ZANU PF, which lost House of Assembly majority to the MDC for the first time in 28 years, was desperate to win the Senate in order to halt what has looked an unstoppable march by the MDC to power.

Mugabe, if he wins a second round run-off presidential election against MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, will appoint six senators to represent special interest groups.

Ten provincial governors - who are appointed to their governorships by the president -- are automatic senators.

An additional 17 senators are drawn from traditional chiefs who normally vote with ZANU PF. This leaves Mugabe's party controlling an overwhelming 63 seats or more than two-thirds majority in the upper chamber of Parliament.

A breakaway faction of the MDC took four seats in the 93-member Senate.

The Upper House reviews bills passed by the House of Assembly and can block legislation passed by the lower chamber. Controlling the Senate had become critical for the ZANU PF after it lost control of the House of Assembly.

The MDC won 99 seats against ZANU PF's 97 in the House of Assembly polls and the opposition party says it also won the presidential election with more than 50 percent of the vote -- enough to avoid a second round run-off.

However, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said he is ready for a run-off against Mugabe if the ZEC says he failed to win with an outright majority.

ZANU PF on Friday endorsed Mugabe to face Tsvangirai in a second round run-off, amid worrying signs the ruling party might resort to intimidation and violence to stay in power.

War veterans, who are hardliner supporters of Mugabe, on Friday threatened violence against the MDC if the opposition party insisted on claiming victory in the presidential election before official results are out.

Mugabe has relied on the veterans of Zimbabwe's 1970s independence war to intimidate opponents.

And police last Thursday raided a hotel used by MDC officials and ransacked some of the rooms. Riot police also surrounded another hotel housing foreign journalists and took away several of them.

Political analysts say Tsvangirai could easily beat Mugabe in a run-off between the two but warn that the three-week hiatus before a new vote could spark serious violence between security forces and militia loyal to the Zimbabwean leader on one side and opposition MDC supporters on the other.

Meanwhile South African President Thabo Mbeki has told the international community to wait for full election results from Zimbabwe, saying it was not time for action.

"No, it's time to wait," Mbeki said when asked if it was time for the international community to take action over the post-election crisis in Zimbabwe.

"Let's see the outcome of the election results," Mbeki told reporters as he arrived at a conference of "progressive governance" leaders near London on Saturday.

"I think the situation for now is manageable. If there is a rerun of the presidential election lets see what comes out of that."

Mbeki was due to meet British Premier Gordon Brown on the sidelines of the conference to discuss Zimbabwe. -- ZimOnline.

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