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This article participates on the following special index pages:
2008 harmonised elections - Index of articles
New
deadline for Zimbabwe's vote
BBC
News
May 14, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7401479.stm
Zimbabwe's government
has extended the deadline by which the presidential run-off vote
must be held to 31 July.
The main opposition Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) said the decision was illegal and unfair.
Opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai beat President Robert Mugabe in the first round on 29
March, but with not enough votes to avoid a run-off.
Meanwhile the justice
minister has proposed establishing cross-party teams to probe acts
of political violence.
"Whenever there
is a claim of an act of politically motivated violence committed,
it should be very good that we form joint teams made up of the (ruling
party) Zanu-PF and MDC so that we can establish the veracity of
these claims," Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa told state
television.
The MDC had
threatened to boycott the second round of voting after accusing
Zanu-PF of trying to rig it but over the weekend Mr Tsvangirai said
he would take part.
He has been in neighbouring
countries since the first round because of alleged threats to his
life.
Bu the MDC says that
Mr Tsvangirai will return to address a rally in Bulawayo on Sunday.
Business
as usual
According
to a special government gazette published on Wednesday, Mr Chinamasa
officially extended the period for the second round of voting.
He said that instead
of 21 days, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) now had 90 days
from the day the results were announced on 2 May to hold the vote.
This means the election
should now take place on, or before, 31 July.
The MDC has always demanded
that the poll take place within the originally mandated time frame.
But Zec Chairman George
Chiweshe told the BBC News website that the previous deadline of
23 May left "insufficient time" for preparations.
The MDC has accused the
ruling Zanu-PF party of beating and torturing MDC supporters in
an attempt to either keep them away from the polls or intimidate
them into voting for the ruling party.
"It is part of a
programme to give Mugabe and Zanu-PF time to torment and continue
a campaign of violence on the MDC," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa
told Reuters news agency.
But Deputy Information
Minister Bright Matonga said that under the Electoral
Act there was leeway to delay the election for up to 12 months
for logistical reasons.
"We are very eager
as Zanu-PF and also as the government to have these elections done
as quickly as possible so we can get on with our lives," he
told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
He said the reports of
electoral violence were exaggerated.
"In Zimbabwe it's
business as usual, you wouldn't think when you watch on BBC or CNN
that this is the same Zimbabwe that people are talking about - it's
very peaceful."
The MDC says Mr Tsvangirai's
campaign will start on Sunday.
"After the White
City rally President Tsvangirai will take his tour across country
and will visit every village and town as he thanks the people of
Zimbabwe for voting for the MDC and its president," the MDC
said in a statement.
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