Zimbabwe's ruling party rejected the EU observers' condemnation of the election campaign and the charge that the government had "failed to uphold the rule of law" by apparently sanctioning violence and intimidation against opponents.
"Considering the countries they represent, we didn't expect anything positive from them. They have been hostile to us all along," said Mr Chen Chimutengwende, the Information Minister.
Mr Jonathan Moyo, Zanu-PF's campaign manager, called the EU's assessment "an insult to the people of Zimbabwe". The people "are capable of coming to their own verdict", he said. The EU decision to issue an interim statement on the campaign only five hours after the polls closed was criticised by some European diplomats, but it was drafted with the heads of the EU missions in Zimbabwe.
Mr Pierre Schori from Sweden, who led the team of about 190 EU observers, made it clear they wanted to produce their interim verdict before all the results were known, so as not to appear partisan. He said: "The term `free and fair' is not applicable in these elections."
Observers criticised the registrar-general for problems with the voters' roll which meant that thousands of people were turned away because their names were not on it. They also accused the registrar-general of deliberately blocking monitoring by not giving access to civic groups.
The most stinging criticism covered violence and intimidation during the campaign, especially in rural areas. Up to 40 people, most of them opposition supporters and candidates, were killed. In about half of the 80 rural constituencies, it was either impossible or very difficult for the opposition to campaign, said Mr Francisco Cobos, the EU's main election adviser.
The EU statement said that Zanu-PF was responsible for the bulk of the violence, although the opposition Movement for Democratic Change was not blameless. It said MDC leaders were "clearer in their condemnation of violence", while Zanu-PF leaders appeared to sanction it.
Reuters adds: The United States said it saw relatively little intimidation or violence during voting in Zimbabwe over the weekend but it remained concerned at intimidation during the campaign before the election.
The State Department spokesman Mr Philip Reeker said the US welcomed the high turn-out in the elections and called on the government to ensure the vote-counting was fair.
Mr Reeker said he had no reports from election monitors that the authorities denied them access to polling stations.