Zimbabwe's Opposition Hopeful Threatens to Disavow Voting Results

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, March 12, 2002

Zimbabwe's Opposition Hopeful Threatens to Disavow Voting Results

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Candidate of Zimbabwe's major opposition party said on Monday that he will not accept voting results of the current presidential election if the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union -- Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) wins.

Morgan Tsvangirai, also leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), told journalists that the election was being born out of a massive disenfranchising of voters.

"I am disappointed with the process because they are not allowing people to exercise their rights through intimidation," said Tsvangirai.

"We share the people's fear that the result will be rigged, but we will complete the process we began in our campaign for a better life."

Tsvangirai also alleged that the ZANU-PF was planning to kill him, but appealed to his supporters to remain calm.

"They may want to arrest and at worst kill me, but they will never destroy the spirit of the people to reclaim their power," he said.

"If they do, you must stay strong and carry on the work we began together. Let us first wait peacefully for your votes to be cast and counted."

Tsvangirai is a major rival of incumbent President Robert Mugabe, who is the candidate of the ZANU-PF.

Tsvangirai, a 50-year-old trade unionist-turned politician, is seen as representing a younger generation of Zimbabweans, particularly urban workers.

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