• Preliminary Findings Indicate Massive Electoral Fraud
  including Election Results Table
• MDC VICTORY - Despondency?...What causes it and how to cope
• US observer mission condemns Zim Poll
• US government challenges African governments over Zim Polls
• Foreign journalists complain over Zim media gag
• ZANU PF unleashes massive violence against MDC supporters
• MDC demands explanation on voter figures
• SA bank governor meets Harare officials, demands more reforms
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• Exiled Zimbabweans say only confrontation will achieve results
• South Africa says not aware of ill-treatment of jailed mercenaries
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• Institute for War and Peace Reporting
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• Is it ethical to visit 'outpost of tyranny'?

MDC PRESS

6 April 2005

Preliminary Findings Indicate Massive Electoral Fraud

Preliminary investigations and analysis by the MDC has revealed that in 30 constituencies in the provinces of Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East and Matabeleland South (see list below), there are serious and unaccountable gaps between the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) official pronouncements on the number of votes cast and final totals accorded to each candidate. This indicates massive electoral fraud by the ruling party.

At present we are unable to carry out an analysis of the accuracy of the number of votes cast in constituencies in Mashonland Central, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Midlands North and Midlands South as the ZEC refuses to release these figures.  The ZEC’s refusal to release these figures indicates widespread irregularities.

Where the MDC was widely predicted to regain its seats, such as in Harare and Bulawayo, very few discrepancies were identified. This raises further suspicions that there was a calculated plan to ensure that the MDC won a sufficient number of seats to provide the electoral process, and the end result, with a veneer of legitimacy. While little attempt was made to deny the MDC victory in key urban areas it is clear that all the stops were pulled out to ensure the MDC made few gains elsewhere.

In 11 constituencies (Kariba, Manyame, Goromonzi, Murehwa South, Mutoko North, Seke Rural, Buhera South, Mutare South, Mutasa South, Mutasa North and Nyanga) the deficits between the ZEC’s official pronouncement on the number of votes cast and the final total directly account for the Zanu PF ‘victories’. In most of these constituencies the Zanu PF candidate was either a senior party official or a Government Minister.

This analysis does not even take into account the uneven electoral playing field, the inflated voters’ roll, the coercion of the rural electorate, nor the high number of people who were turned away on polling day.

The findings in question have been submitted to the SADC and South African observer missions. Regrettably, these observer missions have so far shown a chronic lack of interest in such compelling statistics and instead have maintained their respective positions that the elections reflected ‘the will of the people’. This was clearly not the case.

We urge the observer missions to fully investigate the discrepancies identified by the MDC. Any final reports that fail to take into account such discrepancies would be seriously flawed.

The MDC and the people of Zimbabwe know full well who the real winners are. This election was stolen. The results are in no way an accurate reflection of the sovereign wishes of the people of Zimbabwe.

Paul Themba Nyathi

Secretary for Information and Publicity

Notes for the editors

 Discrepancies:

1. Manyame: ZEC announced the total votes cast as being 14 812.  The MDC candidate polled 8 312 votes, meaning she had an unassailable lead.  However, when results were finally announced the winning Zanu PF candidate was reported to have received 15 448 votes, with 543 ballots spoilt. The total vote count for the constituency becomes 24 303, with the discrepancy being 9 491 votes.
2. Goromonzi: ZEC announced the total votes cast as being 15 611. The MDC candidate, with 8 578 votes, polled more than half of the votes cast. However, when results were finally issued the Zanu PF candidate was announced the winner with 16 782 votes, 1 171 votes more than the total number of votes cast. The total votes cast for the 2 candidates, including spoilt ballots, becomes 26 123.  The discrepancy is 10 512 votes.
3. Kariba: ZEC announced the total votes cast as being 16 676. The MDC candidate, with 9 540 votes, polled more than half of the votes cast. However, when results were finally issued the Zanu PF candidate was announced the winner with 13 1719 votes. The total votes cast for the 2 candidates, including spoilt ballots, becomes 24 142. The discrepancy is 7 466 votes.
4. Seke Rural: ZEC's total votes cast in Seke are given as 11 344.  The MDC candidate, with 8 843 votes, polled more than half of the votes cast. But, when results were finally issued the Zanu PF candidate was announced winner with 15 434 votes, which is 4 090 more votes than the total votes cast. The total votes for all the candidates, including spoilt ballots, mysteriously becomes 24 873. The discrepancy is 13 529.
5. Mutare South: The ZEC figures for the total votes cast is 14 054.  The MDC candidate received 12 163 votes. The final result released shows total votes as being 28 575, with 16 412 of these being for the winning Zanu PF. This registers a discrepancy of 14 521.
6. Buhera South: The total ZEC figure for votes cast is 25 447. The MDC candidate received 13 893 votes, more than half of the total votes cast. When results were finally issued, the Zanu PF candidate was announced the winner, with 15 066 votes.  This gives a total of 28 959 ballots cast for the constituency, leaving a discrepancy of 3 512.
7. Marondera East: The total ZEC figure for votes cast is 25 193. When results were finally issued, the Zanu PF candidate was announced the winner, with 19 192 votes against 10 066 for his MDC counterpart.  The total vote count for the constituency is 29 935, leaving a discrepancy of 4 742.
8. Buhera North: The total ZEC figure for votes cast is 16 795. When results were finally issued, the Zanu PF candidate was announced the winner, with 17 677 votes against 4 137 for his MDC counterpart.  The total vote count for the constituency is 22 688, leaving a discrepancy of 5 893.
9. Murehwa South: The total ZEC figure for votes cast is 8 579. The MDC candidate received 4 586, more than half of the total votes cast. However, when results were finally issued the winning Zanu PF candidate was announced to have received 19 200 votes, more than double the number of votes cast.  This gives a total of 24 463. There is a discrepancy of 15 207.
10. Mutasa South: The total ZEC figure for votes cast is 15 733.  The MDC candidate received 9 380, more than half of the total votes cast. However, when results were finally announced the Zanu PF candidate was reported have received 9 715votes. The total vote count, including spoilt ballots, amounts to 19 573, leaving 3 840 votes unaccounted for.
11. Mutasa North: The total ZEC figure for votes cast is 10 986.  The MDC candidate polled 6 605 votes, again more than half of the total votes cast. But, when results were finally announced the Zanu PF candidate was reported have received 10 135 votes. The total vote count, including spoilt ballots, amounts to 17 204, leaving 6 218 votes unaccounted for.
12. Nyanga: The total ZEC figure for votes cast is 13 896.  The MDC candidate polled 9 360 votes. When results were officially announced, the Zanu PF candidate was reported have received 12 612 votes. The total vote count, including spoilt ballots, amounts to 22 739, leaving 8 843 votes unaccounted for.
13. Chimanimani: The total ZEC figure for votes cast is 23 896.  The MDC candidate received 11 031 votes, while 794 votes were spoilt. When results were officially announced, the Zanu PF candidate was reported to have received 15 817 votes. The total vote count, including spoilt ballots, amounts to 27 642, leaving 3 746 votes unaccounted for.
14. Makoni North: The total votes cast for the constituency, according to ZEC was 14 068. However, when results were officially announced the winning Zanu PF candidate received 18 910, with the MDC's candidate polling 6 077 votes, giving total votes for the two candidates as 24 987.  There is a discrepancy of 10 919 votes.
15. Chipinge North: The total ZEC figure for votes cast is 23 896. When results were finally issued, the Zanu PF candidate was announced the winner, with 16 047 votes against 10 920 for his MDC counterpart.  The total vote count for the constituency is 27 576, leaving a discrepancy of 3 625.
16. Chipinge South: The total ZEC figure for votes cast is 29 479. When results were finally issued, the Zanu PF candidate was announced the winner, with 16 412 votes against 12 163 for his MDC counterpart and 2 129 for Zanu Ndonga.  The total vote count for the constituency is 30 704, leaving a discrepancy of 1 225.
17. Makoni East: ZEC announced that 20 454 people voted.  When results were finally announced, the total votes for the 2 candidates, including spoilt ballots, amounts to 17 341, leaving a negative balance of 3 113 votes unaccounted for.
18. Beitbridge: ZEC announced that 36 821 had voted but the totals for the
    candidates only add up to 20 602, leaving a negative balance of 16 219 votes unaccounted for.
19. Hwedza: ZEC announced that 23 698 people voted.  The total votes cast for all candidates, including spoilt ballots, amount to 26 736, leaving 3 038 votes unaccounted for.
20. Mutare West: ZEC announced that 18 584 people voted.  The total votes counted for the candidates, including spoilt ballots, amount to 20 950, leaving 2 366 votes unaccounted for.
21. Chegutu: ZEC announced that 19 763 people voted.  The total votes counted for the candidates, including spoilt ballots, amount to 25 374, leaving 5 611 votes unaccounted for.
22. Chikomba: ZEC announced that 18 401 people voted.  The total vote count, including spoilt ballots, amount to 26 050, leaving 7 649 votes unaccounted for.
23. Hurungwe East:  ZEC announced that 22 533 people voted. The total votes counted for the two candidates is 26 552, leaving 4019 votes unaccounted for.
24. Mudzi East: ZEC announced that 12 499 people voted.  The total votes counted for the candidates is 22 420, leaving 9 921 votes unaccounted for.
25. Mudzi West: ZEC announced that 10 998 people voted.  The total votes counted for the candidates is 22 796, leaving 11 798 votes unaccounted for.
26. Murehwa North: ZEC announced that 17 606 people voted.  However, when results were finally issued the winning Zanu PF candidate was announced to have received 17 677, while his MDC counterpart received 4 137. The total votes counted for the candidates is 22 353, leaving 4 747 votes unaccounted for.
27. Mutoko North:  ZEC announced that 10 721 people voted.  But, when results were finally issued the winning Zanu PF candidate was announced to have received 16 257. The total votes counted for the candidates is 20 652, leaving 9 931 votes unaccounted for.
28. Mutoko South: ZEC announced that 15 863 people voted.  But, when results were finally issued the winning Zanu PF candidate was announced to have received 19 390. The total votes counted for the candidates is 23 481 leaving 7 618 votes unaccounted for.
29. Insiza: ZEC announced that 20 220 people voted.  When results were officially announced, the winning Zanu PF candidate was announced to have received 13 109, while his MDC counterpart received 8,840 votes. The total votes announced for the constituency is 22 099, leaving 1 879 votes unaccounted for.
30. Gwanda: ZEC announced that 23 288 people voted.  When results were officially announced, the winning Zanu PF candidate was announced to have received 13 109, while his MDC counterpart received 10 961 votes. The total votes announced for the constituency is 24 594, leaving 1 300 votes unaccounted for.