Zimbabwe opposition go into hiding as election result is delayed
source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/01/zimbabwe
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Senior figures in Zimbabwe's opposition were in hiding last night as a massive power struggle played out after the weekend elections in which President Robert Mugabe's government appeared to have been defeated.
Official results from the state-appointed electoral commission were issued yesterday, with almost theatrical slowness.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change claimed a landslide victory and declared its leader Morgan Tsvangirai an outright winner. Spokesman Tendai Biti warned the government against stealing the election, saying: "Zimbabwe is on the edge of a precipice."
With neither Mr Tsvangirai nor Mr Mugabe seen in public since Saturday, the country has been gripped by fear and uncertainty. Yesterday phone lines were jammed and people were only able to communicate through text. Although riot police were able to prevent widespread opposition celebrations, by last night hundreds of excited text message circulars were promising a new beginning.
Mr Mugabe had, according to one rumour, left the country, but there has been no independent confirmation of this.
Gordon Brown held emergency talks with the South African President Thabo Mbeki and former UN secretary general Kofi Annan yesterday, and Foreign Secretary David Miliband was in Paris last night to discuss the election with counterparts from France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain during wider talks.
Official results from the state-appointed electoral commission were issued yesterday, with almost theatrical slowness.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change claimed a landslide victory and declared its leader Morgan Tsvangirai an outright winner. Spokesman Tendai Biti warned the government against stealing the election, saying: "Zimbabwe is on the edge of a precipice."
With neither Mr Tsvangirai nor Mr Mugabe seen in public since Saturday, the country has been gripped by fear and uncertainty. Yesterday phone lines were jammed and people were only able to communicate through text. Although riot police were able to prevent widespread opposition celebrations, by last night hundreds of excited text message circulars were promising a new beginning.
Mr Mugabe had, according to one rumour, left the country, but there has been no independent confirmation of this.
Gordon Brown held emergency talks with the South African President Thabo Mbeki and former UN secretary general Kofi Annan yesterday, and Foreign Secretary David Miliband was in Paris last night to discuss the election with counterparts from France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain during wider talks.
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- Elections, Zimbabwe, Mugabe, Zimbabwe Elections, 3 more
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richjm
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Mugabe had threatened to treat an opposition victory as a coup, sparking fears that any inevitable retaliations would be violent and bloody.
- 3 years ago
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richjm
