Mugabe faces humiliation if he enters run-off

Mugabe faces humiliation if he enters run-off - Moyo

• Mugabe said ready for election run-off

• 'Relaxed' Mugabe seen for first time after polls

• 7 ministers fall as opposition overturns Zanu PF's majority in parliament

• MDC declares Tsvangirai new President

• Outright Tsvangirai or Mugabe victory unlikely - Moyo

• Tsvangirai refuses to declare victory

• Tsvangirai MDC may turn to rival faction to break deadlock

• ZEC invites candidates for presidential ballot count

• Zanu PF ahead, rigging fears grow

• US concerns over election results delay

• VP Mujuru not defeated, results show

• Zimbabwe election results 2008

By Vusa Tshabangu

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe has been warned by his former propaganda chief he faces humiliation if he enters a run-off with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

With last weekend's presidential election unlikely to produce an outright winner - or 50 percent plus of the total vote - Zanu PF officials indicated Thursday that they were preparing for a second round of voting which must be held within 21 days under Zimbabwean law.

But Moyo - credited with masterminding Zanu PF's 2000 parliamentary election victory just a few months after the government had suffered a humiliating rejection of its draft constitution - believes Mugabe should not “subject himself to such indignity”.

“Why should the President, given all he has done for this country, subject himself to such indignity? This is a run-off he cannot win, but it is also a run-off he cannot postpone," Moyo told reporters at a press club in Harare.

"The right thing for the President in this situation is to withdraw. If he withdraws, he would have set a remarkable precedence. He must realise that having lost the first round, he cannot win the second. Mugabe and members of his party, Zanu PF, should be gracious in defeat.”

Moyo, re-elected as MP for Tsholotsho over the weekend, said Zanu PF was now disintegrating and could soon be history.

“Zanu PF is now history. The total disintegration of the party has started, this time it’s the real disintegration. Only if they are gracious in this defeat will the people give them another chance. I wish there were responsible people who could encourage Mugabe to withdraw from the run-off and maintain his dignity,” said Moyo.

Over the past few days, there has been speculation that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)’s delay in announcing results of Saturday’s poll was part of a plot to rig the election in favour of Mugabe. ZEC officials have denied the charge, saying the delay was caused by the “meticulous verification of results”.

Moyo believes the delay is to allow the authorities to manage the defeat of Zanu PF, which they had not been prepared for.

"The authorities are magaing defeat and they are not used to managing defeat. The Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet does not even know what to do because he has never been in such a situation before,” he said.

Moyo said the MDC needed to move swiftly to allay fears within the security services that it had a retributive agenda. He said contrary to fears Mugabe would rig the election, delays in releasing results may have more to do with growing anxiety among the security forces.

“In fact, this election is very difficult to rig. I would actually be tempted to say it is not riggable," Moyo said. "Part of the reason for the delay is because there is anxiety in the security services, especially those service chiefs who unwisely, or rather foolishly, told the whole world that they would not salute any other winner than Mugabe."
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com