Australia, UK, US, wants Zimbabwe poll re-run

AUSTRALIA, which suspended sanctions against Zimbabwe to help encourage "free and fair" elections, has added its voice to international concerns of vote rigging in last week's disputed election, calling for the election to be re-run.

President Robert Mugabe trounced his long-standing political rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, in last Wednesday's election, winning 61 percent of the vote against 34 percent for his rival.

Official results showed that Mugabe's Zanu PF party got a super majority in parliament that will allow it to change the constitution.

But Tsvangirai, who has unsuccessfully tried to unseat Mugabe three times, condemned the vote as "fraudulent and stolen" and is planning a court challenge to the result.

Australia's foreign minister Bob Carr called for a re-run of the poll because of doubts about the integrity of the electoral roll and voting procedures.

"I am pleased that last Wednesday's election proceeded largely without violence but the African Union, SADC, civil society groups and our own Embassy in Harare have all raised concerns with the voters roll and voting procedures," Carr said.

"These appear to have disenfranchised large numbers of voters and raised doubts about the credibility of the election results.

"Prime Minister Tsvangirai's MDC party has called the elections a 'huge farce'.

"It is vital that the results of the elections are credible and reflect the will of the Zimbabwean people."
Britain and the United States have criticised Zimbabwe's election result as not credible and seriously flawed.

US secretary of state John Kerry described the election as "deeply flawed" and said the US "does not believe that the results ... represent a credible expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people."
British Foreign Secretary William Hague added his own "grave concerns" over the conduct of the vote in the former colony.

However, there have been gentler assessments from African observers who nonetheless noted flaws with South African president Jacob Zuma offering his "profound congratulations" to Mugabe.

"President Zuma urges all political parties in Zimbabwe to accept the outcome of the elections as election observers reported it to be an expression of the will of the people," a foreign ministry statement said.

Tsvangirai has been in a coalition with Mugabe since 2009. He defended the decision then to enter into an uneasy power-sharing government with Mugabe saying it rescued the country total collapse.
Mugabe's Zanu PF party says there is no more need for the MDC in the new government.

"We have received over 60 per cent of the vote, we have two-thirds majority, why would we want to bring someone else on board," state security minister Sydney Sekeramayi said.

The MDC now has until Wednesday to present evidence of fraud to the high court, but finding a smoking gun may prove difficult. Inauguration is expected within 48 hours of the court's decision.

Tsvangirai said he would submit a dossier of "all irregularities and all the illegalities" to the influential 15-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) and called for an urgent summit.

The European Union, which had been moving toward easing long-standing sanctions, expressed concern about "incomplete participation, as well as the identified weaknesses in the electoral process and a lack of transparency".