ZEC says run-off vote could take place soon

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Deputy Chief of Operations Utoile Silaigwana on Sunday said the presidential run-off vote could take place soon, possibly before 23 May. Silaigwana said the Electoral Act allowed the run-off to be held within 21 days if candidates failed to get 50% of votes. The MDC, which had been threatening to boycott the run-off, has changed its stance. MDC party leader Morgan Tsvangirai appealed to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other observers to oversee the second round election amid political violence that had flared up in Manicaland and Mashonaland ahead of the poll. The two parties, which were neck and neck in parliamentary polls, refused to entertain forming a coalition government after MDC ended the 28-year majority of Zanu PF in Parliament.