Reply #15: Police 'rigged ballot' in Zimbabwe election

[Mnemosyne]

Police 'rigged ballot' in Zimbabwe election

Peta Thornycroft
April 12, 2008

THE first solid evidence of ballot rigging in Zimbabwe's presidential election has emerged as a senior policeman claimed that officers marked extra votes for President Robert Mugabe.

Almost two weeks after polling day, with the official result still not revealed, independent monitors say that Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, came first. But the regime's critics believe that the Electoral Commission — chaired by George Chiweshe, a judge and close ally of the President — will announce that Mr Mugabe is leading, although probably falling below the 50% margin needed to avoid a second round.

As tensions ran high, authorities banned all political rallies in the capital, Harare.

The MDC said on Thursday that it would boycott a run-off in the presidential poll if one was declared, adding that Mr Tsvangirai won with a share "much higher" than the 50.3% it claimed last week. The police officer, who cannot be identified for fear of reprisals, said he saw a number of ballot boxes carried into a room at police headquarters in Harare last weekend, seven days after the election.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/police-rigged-ballot-in-zimbabwe-election/2008/04/11/1207856835491.html?s_cid=rss_world