Tsvangirai wins 67 percent majority – MDC

Even Mugabe’s top lieutenants such as his deputy Joice Mujuru have lost the election. Zanu (PF) administration secretary Didymus Mutasa has lost, so has Zanu (PF) political commissar Elliot Manyika, who has since shot an opposition supporter in fierce clashes that followed the confirmation of results in Bindura today. ZimDaily heard that police put down wild scenes of jubilation by about 200 MDC supporters in Mutare after it emerged that Mugabe had lost overwhelmingly in the area, where MDC clinched a majority.

More revealing is the parliamentary seat loss of Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi, a member of the Joint Operations Command, which has threatened to stage a coup if Mugabe loses.

Among senior Zanu (PF) officials that have lost their seats to the MDC are Ignatious Chombo, Oppah Muchinguri, Shuvai Mahofa, Didymus Mutasa, Patrick Chinamasa, Stan Mudenge, Walter Mzembi, Elliot Manyika, Joice Mujuru and Chen Chimutengwende and many others.

Among heavyweights that have retained their seats are Emmerson Mnangagwa and David Parirenyatwa.

Analysts say there is no ways Mugabe can be expected to win the elections after all his key allies have been rejected by the people.

MDC secretary general Tendai Biti told a press conference in Harare that Tsvangirai had taken a convincing 67 percent lead and the trend was unstoppable if results trickling through from various constituencies are anything to go by.

Biti said MDC had won all 29 seats in Harare, all 12 parliamentary seats in Bulawayo. Out of six senate seats in Bulawayo, the MDC lost only one seat to David Coltart of the Mutambara-led MDC. In all towns including in traditional Zanu (PF) strongholds in the three Mashonaland provinces, East, West and Central MDC has won convincingly.  The MDC has also won Mkoba, Gweru urban, Masvingo urban, Marondera central and many other areas. He added that Tsvangirai had garnered at least 66 percent of the votes cast in the capital. The MDC also leads in Mashonaland Central province and won a majority in the south-central province of Masvingo, traditionally a stronghold for President Mugabe’s outgoing Zanu (PF) party.

“This is just an example of what we’re getting from every province,”‘ Biti said. “In our view the trend is irreversible and, barring a miracle, Mugabe can’t win. We’ve won this election. It appears the regime is at a loss as to how to respond to this massacre of Zanu (PF),” Biti told reporters at the press briefing. 

At the National Command Centre, ZimDaily witnessed only four people in there, typing away at their laptop computers, with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commsion saying election results are not due until Monday. Government has warned the MDC against declaring a pre-emptive victory. 

Government spokesman George Charamba today issued a chilling warning against the MDC, suggesting that the continued announcement of election results amounted to a coup by the MDC. On the eve of voting, army generals also made the same warning, cautioning the opposition that only the ZEC was empowered to declare election results under the Electoral Act. 

“It is called a coup d’etat and we all know how coups are handled,” Charamba warned.

Opposition leader Dr Daniel Shumba of the United People’s Party, who was barred from contesting the presidential race allegedly because of late arrival at the nomination court, said Charamba’s assertions that the MDC victory declaration amounted to a coup was “an exaggeration in terms.”

“If anything, it is actually Zanu (PF) which should be accused of making coup threats through statements they have been made through the generals,” said Shumba, a retired soldier and prominent businessman who was a former Zanu (PF) Masvingo provincial chairman before he joined opposition politics.

Diplomatic sources said Britain was preparing military intervention if the army in Zimbabwe attempts to undermine civilian authority or subvert the will of the people by staging a coup.
Analysts maintained that a defiant Mugabe would refuse to leave power although the rumour mill in Harare suggest he flew out of Harare yesterday. ZimDaily was unable to independently verify the reports.