Pressure mounts on Mugabe following 'deeply flawed' Presidential win

The international community, by and large, has reacted with dismay over the result of the latest general elections in Zimbabwe, which has once again returned President Robert Mugabe to power with a two-thirds majority.

Eight-nine-year-old Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980, trounced his long-standing rival Morgan Tsvangirai in Wednesday's polls, securing 61 per cent of the presidential vote. His Zanu-PF party also achieved a crushing parliamentary majority.

A News24 report said that most Western powers have labeled the elections unfair and flawed, and warned that Zimbabwe risks falling further into a political, constitutional and economic crisis.

The global concerns have been expressed after African and local observers complained of extra ballot papers being printed and of voters being turned away from polling stations.

Australia has urged the Zimbabwean Government to hold fresh polls in the presence of a fresh set of observer teams.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr said that elections should be held again based on a verified and agreed voters roll.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry described the election as "deeply flawed" and added that Washington felt the results did not represent a credible expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people.

Germany said the election could cast a big shadow on the political and economic future of Zimbabwe.

But South African President Jacob Zuma congratulated Mugabe for his win and urged all political parties in Zimbabwe to accept the election outcome as an expression of the will of the people.

Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Mugabe's oldest rival, has vowed to challenge the result in court.

He also said that the MDC would boycott all government institutions and their activities.