Zimbabwe: Mugabe Aides Discuss Ceding Power

Advisers of President Robert Mugabe (pictured above) and his chief rival are discussing the possibility of the longtime leader relinquishing power, a businessman close to the electoral commission and a lawyer close to the opposition today told The Associated Press. The businessman said Mugabe has been told that he is far behind Morgan Tsvangirai in preliminary results of Saturday's presidential elections and that there could be an uprising if Mugabe were declared the winner. The lawyer said advisers to both men were discussing a "transitional arrangement." Both spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The secretary-general of Mr. Tsvangirai's party, Tendai Biti, dismissed the reports, saying "It's rubbish" before hanging up. However, Martin Rupiya, a military analyst at South Africa's Institute for Strategic Studies and a former lieutenant-colonel in the Zimbabwe army, said he had heard of the military's involvement in negotiations for Mugabe to step down.

Independent observers say trends indicate Mr. Tsvangirai won the most votes in the presidential race, but not enough to avoid a runoff — a prospect that could be humiliating to the 84-year-old president. No returns from the presidential vote have been made public, fueling fears of rigging. Mugabe has been accused of stealing past elections, though that was before Zimbabwe's economy collapsed and leading members of his own party openly defied him.

The businessman said Zimbabwe's security chiefs have told the Electoral Commission to issue results portraying a close race, to prevent celebrations that could ignite violence. The commission has released results for 142 of the 210 parliamentary seats — giving Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change 72 seats, including five for a breakaway faction, and 70 for Mugabe's party. John Makumbe, a political scientist at the University of Zimbabwe, said he had learned from military sources that they would honor the results of the elections. The security chiefs last week warned they would not serve anybody but Mugabe and would not tolerate an opposition victory.

The European Union said it wants Mugabe to step down to spare his nation political turmoil. "If Mr. Mugabe continues, there will be a coup d'etat," said Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitri Rupel, whose country holds the EU presidency. He said he hoped Mugabe "is on his way out." British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for the immediate release of election results. The Netherlands hailed the possibility of an opposition victory.

Mr. Tsvangirai has vowed not to entertain an alliance with Mugabe but has said previously that he is ready to negotiate an exit package for Zimbabwe's ruler for 28 years. He also has said that Mugabe should be tried for human rights abuses, possibly in an international court.