 Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) deputy chief election officer Utoile Silaigwana said the recounting of votes was delayed on Saturday although the process was now running smoothly.
 “There were some delays yesterday and I am not sure the results will be available after three days as initially indicated. It might be more than that,” said Silaigwana.
 He added, “but what I can confirm is that the process started smoothly today. But again, I cannot say how many polling stations have been counted. That information could be available by end of today.”
 The ZEC began recounting votes in 23 constituencies after a High Court judge rejected an opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party application to block the exercise.
 The MDC, which defeated President Robert Mugabe’s ruling ZANU PF party in the first count of the March 29 vote, could see its victory reversed if the ruling party wins at least nine of the recounted constituencies.
 ZANU PF lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 28 years in last month’s election when it garnered 97 seats compared to 110 won by the MDC and other minor opposition candidates. If ZANU PF clinches nine more seats on the recount that would give the party 106 seats, a simple majority in the 210-seat House of Assembly.
 The MDC says the recount is an illegal ploy by ZEC aimed at restoring control of Parliament into ZANU PF hands. The opposition party said it will not accept results of the recount, a development certain to prolong an election crisis that political analysts have warned if left unresolved for too long could lead to violence and bloodshed.
 Zimbabwe, also grappling with an acute economic recession, was plunged deeper into political crisis after the ZEC withheld results of a presidential ballot held together with elections for parliament and that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai claims he won with more than 50 percent of the vote, enough to avoid a second round run-off against Mugabe.
 But ZANU PF party and independent election observers say Tsvangirai won with less than 50 percent of the vote, warranting a rerun of the ballot.
 The MDC, which last week lost a court bid to force the ZEC to release results of the presidential poll, has accused the commission of withholding results in a bid to fix the vote and force a re-run of the poll that it says Mugabe is preparing to use violence and terror to win.
 The MDC, whose attempt to call a general strike to force release of poll results flopped last Tuesday, says that ZANU PF militants have intensified violence against its supporters.
 The United States, Britain and other key Western nations have criticised Mugabe’s handling of the elections and used a summit of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and the African Union (AU) last week to call for tougher action to end Zimbabwe’s election stalemate and the violence it has bred.
 The AU, whose response to Zimbabwe’s election crisis has been muted, on Sunday urged electoral authorities to release full results of the polls in order to help reducer tensions in the country.
 The union called on all political players in Zimbabwe to exercise restraint pending the announcement of the election results.
 The AU said: “The African Union wishes to express its concern over the delay observed in the announcement of Zimbabwe’s election results, which creates an atmosphere of tension.
 “The African Union therefore urges competent authorities of the Republic of Zimbabwe to announce the results without any further delay, in transparency, thus contributing, inter alia, to reducing the prevailing tension.”
 Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would discuss Zimbabwe with African leaders at a UN trade and development conference in Ghana which started on Sunday. – ZimOnline
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