UK and US express concern over 'legitimacy' of Mugabe's Zimbabwe election victory

After Robert Mugabe was declared the winner of Zimbabwe's presidential election on Saturday with a convincing margin, the United States and Britain have expressed their concerns over the conduct of the vote.

According to The Guardian, the US secretary of state, John Kerry, commended Zimbabweans for rejecting violence but added that in the light of substantial electoral irregularities reported by domestic and regional observers, the United States does not believe that the results announced today represent a credible expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people.

William Hague, the British foreign secretary, also expressed grave concerns about the conduct of the vote, the report said.

The report added that as Zanu-PF supporters celebrated the national election commission announcement, Tsvangirai and other MDC leaders held a press conference that was attended by the British and other western ambassadors and he said that instead of celebration, there was a national mourning.

The MDC called on African and regional bodies to meet urgently to restore legitimacy in Zimbabwe and demanded a fresh election as soon as possible, the report further said.