World News Story

23 November 2008 11:10 BST

Zimbabwe recount begins three weeks after general elections

A recount of votes cast in Zimbabwe's elections three weeks ago has begun with opposition parties already dismissing the move as illegitimate.

On March 29th, the people of Zimbabwe chose representatives in 230 constituencies at the local, parliamentary and senate level and also picked their choice for the southern African country's president. Votes cast in 23 of the country's localities have been contested by the ruling party and are now being counted again.

An official from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission told the Reuters news agency: "The vote recounting process has started, and it's going to be a thorough exercise. We expect it to take about three days."

The country's electoral commission had previously announced that the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had secured the most seats in the country's parliament; nine more than the 97 won by the ruling Zanu-PF party. The results of today's recount could lead to that result being overturned.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who has left for neighbouring South Africa, has previously claimed victory in the presidential elections on the basis of unofficial results posted outside polling stations. He has now left the country voicing fears of a crackdown by the government.

The opposition party's secretary-general Tendai Biti has previously said the party would not accept the results of the recount as he feared that the boxes could have been stuffed in the three weeks since polling.

President Robert Mugabe, 84, who has ruled the country since it won independence from Britain in 1980, has rejected the UK's criticism of the electoral process and urged it not to interfere in the country's internal matters.

Zimbabwe is in the midst of an economic crisis with food shortages and a rate of inflation exceeding 150,000 per cent with unemployment at close to 80 per cent as well.