Mugabe Reportedly Entering into Negotiations for a Transfer of Power
By Daniel Hollingsworth
April 1, 2008 | Printer Friendly

Zimbabwe in Context: Extensive background information on the situation in Zimbabwe

Following the March 28 election in Zimbabwe, in which the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has claimed victory despite delays in the official tally, the New York Times reports that “advisers to President Robert G. Mugabe…are in talks with the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, amid signs that Mr. Mugabe may be preparing to resign.”  Several projections have indicated that neither Mugabe nor Tsvangirai is likely to surpass 50 percent of the vote, and Mugabe has “apparently concluded that a runoff election would be demeaning, a diplomat said.”

The BBC writes that the delay in the release of the presidential results has the country on edge: “Rumours have circulated as people await results, and government has been forced to deny speculation that Mr Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980, had gone to Malaysia or was planning to impose a state of emergency.”  The MDC has claimed that Tsvangirai won 60 percent of the vote to Mugabe’s 30 percent, while other estimates, including those of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party, predict a win for Tsvangirai that falls short of an outright majority.  The Associated Press reports that “The Zimbabwe Election Support Network, a coalition of 38 Zimbabwe civil society organizations, said its random representative sample of polling stations showed Tsvangirai won just over 49 percent of the vote…Mugabe was projected to come in second with about 42 percent, and [Simba] Makoni trailed at about 8 percent.”

References:

New York Times: Mugabe Said to Be Negotiating Possible Exit

BBC News: Zimbabwe rivals neck and neck

Associated Press: Zimbabwe’s Ruling Party Considers Defeat