MDC says it rejects March 29 poll recount
By Tichaona Sibanda
19 April 2008

The MDC said it rejected the partial recount of votes from March 29 elections, which began on Saturday, and said it would not accept the outcome.

The recount in 23 of 210 constituencies, which is due to take three days, could overturn the results of the parliamentary election, which showed Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF losing its majority to the MDC for the first time. Results of a parallel presidential election have not been released.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said they rejected the process and also rejects the outcome of the flawed process, adding the ‘position of the party is we have nothing to do with the process.’
‘It’s not a recount, it’s a discount of the will and the vote of the people,’ said Chamisa speaking from Gweru, where the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is recounting votes from seven of the 23 constituencies.
ZEC began a partial recount of votes from the March 29 elections on Saturday, despite opposition efforts to block it and widespread fears that political stalemate could erupt into violence.

The recount in 23 of 210 constituencies could overturn the results of the parliamentary election, which showed Mugabe’s ZANU-PF losing its majority to the MDC for the first time.

ZANU-PF lost 16 out of those 23 constituencies in the original count, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said. Zanu-PF needs to win 9 seats to get a simple majority in parliament. Results of a parallel presidential vote have not been released, but MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai says he has won.

ZEC has said they expect the exercise to take three days. After a request to the ZEC by Zanu PF, vote recounts for all four elections, local authority, House of Assembly, Senatorial and Presidential are being carried out in Buhera South, Chimanimani West, Mutare West, Goromonzi East, Zvimba North, Bikita South, Bikita West, Zaka West, Chiredzi North, Masvingo Central, Masvingo West, Gutu Central, Gutu North, Gutu South, Lupane East, Bulilima East, Zhombe, Silobela, Gokwe-Kabuyuni, Mberengwa East, Mberengwa West, Mberengwa North and Mberengwa South.