Looks like Mugabe is going to do it again.

Zimbabwe's ruling party edged ahead of the main opposition on Tuesday with over half of parliamentary election results released and concerns grew that President Robert Mugabe was trying to rig the vote.

Riot police in armored carriers patrolled two of Harare's opposition strongholds overnight and residents were told to stay off the normally bustling streets.

Three days after the most important vote since independence, only 109 out of 210 parliamentary constituencies had been declared, showing the ruling ZANU-PF two seats ahead of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

No results have been announced for the presidential vote, in which Mugabe faces the most formidable political challenge of his 28 years in power -- from old rival Morgan Tsvangirai and ruling party defector Simba Makoni.

The opposition MDC says it won according to its own tally and has accused the veteran leader of delaying the issuing of the results in a bid to steal the election, which Zimbabweans hoped would ease daily hardships.

It is that presidential total that is the real key here. If one accepts the unofficial tallies released at polling places, Morgan Tsvangirai won decisively. That we are now three days out from the election and no results have been released can only lead to a single conclusion -- that there is an attempt to cook the books in favor of the nation's long-time dictator.

What action will the international community take in this thwarting of the will of the people of Zimbabwe?

Posted by: Greg at 10:10 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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