Mugabe's Party OKs Run-Off

As Zimbabwe awaits official results of last week’s election, president Robert Mugabe’s party announced today that he would not oppose a run-off with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, CNN reports. The law requires the electoral commission to report results within 6 days of an election, but no results materialized; Tsvangirai’s party has vowed to sue if results are not announced.

His party, the MDC, has declared Tsvangirai the winner of Saturday's elections with more than 50% of the vote. The state-run newspaper, however, reported that neither candidate recorded a simple majority, necessitating a run-off. In parliamentary elections the same day, the MDC took a slim lead over Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF. Reports of government raids and jailed journalists persisted today. (More Zimbabwe stories.)