Mugabe won polls unfairly says West

 



  President Rob-ert Mugabe swept back to power in Zimbabwe 
yesterday after an election fiercely condemned by local 
monitors, the opposition and the West but praised by African 
nations.

  Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, easily beaten by the 
veteran president according to official results, said Mugabe had 
stolen the vote through violence and intimidation and by 
preventing hundreds of thousands of people from voting.

  The US said the election, extending Mugabe's 22-year rule for 
another six years, was "fundamentally flawed". Zimbabwe had 
ignored its commitment to a free and fair poll.

  Two State Department officials said Washington aimed to impose 
financial restrictions against any assets in the US held by 
Mugabe and senior members of his government but could not say 
when they would take effect.

  A deep split appeared between Western nations and African 
countries monitoring the vote, who closed ranks behind Mugabe, 
calling the election legitimate.

  Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede declared Mugabe the winner 
after results were in from all 120 constituencies. He said the 
former guerilla won his fifth term as leader after taking 
1,685,212 votes against 1,258,401 for Tsvangirai.

  The opposition leader said his Movement for Democratic Change 
(MDC) would not accept the result.

  "The election results ... do not reflect the true will of the 
people of Zimbabwe and are consequently illegitimate," he said.

  Norwegian and local observers said thousands of people, mostly 
in opposition strongholds, had been prevented from voting.

  But observers from South Africa, Namibia and Nigeria all said 
Mugabe's re-election was legitimate.

  South Africa and Nigeria together with Australia comprise a 
special Commonwealth group given the power to take measures 
against Zimbabwe if the election is deemed not to have been free 
and fair.

  Zimbabwe security forces went on high alert and erected 
roadblocks around Harare after the result was announced.

  The MDC said dozens of heavily armed soldiers had surrounded its 
office in the second city of Bulawayo. Small groups of armed 
riot police moved into Harare townships loyal to Tsvangirai.

  Several hundred Mugabe supporters danced in celebration and 
carried mock coffins for Tsvangirai in two Harare townships. One 
of the coffins was draped in the US flag.

  
Mugabe's government dismissed criticism of the election.

  Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said the result was a blow to 
British Prime Minister Tony Blair whom Mugabe accuses of 
sponsoring Tsvangirai.

  The former colonial power Britain said that Mugabe had held on 
to power through a "systematic campaign of violence and 
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