It’s almost a done deal for Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF, with results that have already been released showing that the former liberation party has so far won 137 seats out of the 210 for the National Assembly. This means Robert Mugabe’s party needs only three Parliamentary seats to kill any hopes of a coalition government. Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T, which has already said it would not accept the election results because they're a "farce", is trailing behind with 48 seats.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo on Friday told the media that with the results that are trickling in, it’s clear that his party will also win the presidential election. "It's the prediction that the president might likely get 70% to 75%," Gumbo said.
"Our opponents don't know what hit them."
Political analysts in Zimbabwe have also said a victory in Parliament almost always translated into a presidential victory. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is expected by law to announce all election results within five days after the election day, in this case, by Monday. With the two-thirds majority, Zanu-PF will have the powers to amend laws in Parliament, including the country’s Constitution.
On Friday, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa told journalists at a Zanu-PF press conference that the new Constitution, adopted in May, will need a "cleaning up".
Chinamasa said all indications were that Zanu-PF “delivered a humiliating defeat” to MDC parties, which he called forces of colonial powers. This morning the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) endorsed Zimbabwe’s elections as free and credible.
The Comesa observer mission’s ratification follows those of the African Union, SADC and the electoral commissions forum of SADC. It’s expected that the ZEC will release the results of the remaining 20-odd constituencies by the end of Saturday.