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Mugabe set to hold talks on election with party members

04/04/2008

Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe is set to chair a meeting of his ruling Zanu-PF party today in a bid to decide what action to take following Saturday's elections.

On Thursday it was announced that the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had won two more seats than Mr Mugabe's party in the national parliamentary election.

The Zimbabwe electoral commission (ZEC) though has still yet to confirm the official results of the presidential race, with reports differing over whether the MDC's leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has defeated Mr Mugabe or not.

The MDC has already claimed their leader polled 50.3 per cent of the popular vote, making him the new Zimbabwean president - a claim denied by Mr Mugabe's party.

Deputy information minister Bright Matonga told reporters yesterday that the president was gearing up for a second round of elections and felt sure his party's leader would emerge victorious.

"President Mugabe is going to fight to the last, and he's not giving up, he's not going anywhere, he hasn't lost the election," Mr Matonga said.

On Thursday night armed police ransacked the offices of the MDC and detained a number of foreign journalists.

Reports claim that around 30 members of the country's paramilitary police force surrounded a hotel in Zimbabwe's capital Harare before removing a number of the international reporters.

Critics of the president claim that he has begun a crackdown as he gears up for a second round of the presidential election.

"Mugabe has started a crackdown. It is quite clear he has unleashed a war," MDC secretary Tendai Biti said.

Mr Mugabe, 84, came to power in Zimbabwe 28 years ago after the country achieved independence from British rule. However in recent years the country has been plagued with the world's highest inflation and huge food and fuel shortages.