As it began counting ballots, the Zimbabwe government today denied allegations that thousands of people were kept from voting in the most bitterly contested election in that country's history.
The campaign pitted President Mr Robert Mugabe, the only leader the African nation has known in its 22 years of independence from Britain, against Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, a labour organiser from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.
The voting, originally scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, was extended into Monday by a Harare High Court judge after thousands of people continued waiting Sunday night outside Harare polling stations. On Monday night, a High Court judge rejected an opposition appeal to order a fourth day of voting.
On Tuesday, officials delivered ballot boxes to central counting stations established in Zimbabwe's 120 voting constituencies. First results are expected tomorrow.
Thousands of Zimbabweans who waited three days to vote were forced to flee from polling stations yesterday by police wielding clubs and firing tear gas. There have been allegations that Mr Mugabe and his ruling party are trying to disenfranchise opposition supporters.
But Zimbabwe information minister Mr Jonathan Moyo denied there was foul play, saying the ruling party did not have the capacity to rig the election even if it wanted to.
"It's absolutely a figment of someone's imagination who is staring defeat in the face to say there was disenfranchisement of one voter in Harare," he told state television today.
AP