Zimbabwean Opposition Gains Majority

A final count of votes from Zimbabwe’s presidential and general elections has given the opposition Movement for Democratic Change a parliamentary majority.

The official results of Saturday’s elections, given Wednesday by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, indicate the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, led by President Robert Mugabe, has been ousted, Voice of America reported Wednesday.

The country’s presidency has been undecided as the opposition party claimed Morgan Tsvangirai won 50.3 percent of the vote, while the African National Union-Patriotic Front and government officials had questioned the claim and stressed a runoff was necessary.

The possibility of a runoff had been supported by the state-run Herald newspaper, which claimed the essential 50 percent plus one vote was not won by either candidate.

Tsvangirai’s opposition party won 99 of 210 house seats, while Arthur Mutambara’s competing Movement for Democratic Change formation won 11 seats, making a total of 110 seats for the opposition, the report said. Ninety-three seats reportedly were won by Mugabe’s party.

It is reported that Tsvangirai claimed Tuesday he had prevailed as president and his secretary-general, Tendai Biti, supported the claim at a Wednesday news conference.