ZIMBABWE:A partial recount of Zimbabwe's disputed presidential election has been completed and verification of the results by the candidates will start today, an election official said yesterday.
"Recounting has been completed in those five constituencies that remained. I'm getting the information that they are now collating the results, which will be available tomorrow," Zimbabwe Electoral Commission spokesman Utoile Silaigwana said.
"Once this process has been completed, the process of verification of the presidential ballots will also commence tomorrow." The verification of results by presidential candidates could take up to a week, electoral officials have said.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who says he won an outright majority in the first round of voting and has rejected a second round run-off, urged President Mugabe to step down. "Old man, go and have an honourable exit," Mr Tsvangirai said in Johannesburg.
Meanwhile, the two factions of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said yesterday they would unite in parliament against Mr Mugabe's ruling party. "I can say that both formations of the MDC have agreed to work together," Mr Tsvangirai said. Arthur Mutambara, leader of the smaller faction, confirmed the agreement.
Meanwhile, a court has ordered police to charge or release about 200 MDC supporters who were arrested three days ago, a lawyer representing the detainees said. "We have an order from the High Court compelling the police to release those they arrested last Friday." - (Reuters, Bloomberg)