The major dispute was over the allegations by the MDC that there had been serious irregularities in the poll. For example, in Goromonzi, which was won by ZANU PF, the number of votes announced by ZEC at 2am, April 1, 2005 to have been cast by close of polling had suddenly gone up by 62% from 15 611 to 25 360 when the final results were announced on April 1, 2005. Another glaring example pertains to Manyame Constituency, where, according to ZEC, 14 812 had cast their ballots at the close of polling, but the figure catapulted by 72% to 23 760 as the results were announced. In Highfield, which was won by the MDC, the total number of ballots cast does not tally with the number of votes cast for the contesting candidates 5. Thus, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, which won 40 percent of the vote, has accused the government of widespread fraud and intimidation. Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the MDC, said the victory had been achieved as a result of massive and widespread electoral fraud by Mugabe and ZANU PF. Tsvangirai gave a signal to his followers to begin extra-parliamentary action to topple a government that has presided over seven years of economic collapse, widespread violence, massive unemployment and inflation, hunger and spreading disease. "These elections cannot be accepted by anyone in their right mind," an angry Tsvangirai told reporters in Harare. "This is disgusting massive fraud.” "I am asking people to defend their right to vote. We have been using the legal route and that route has failed. We are not going to use it this time." 6 The EU, Britain, America, and both local and international human rights organizations, have all stated that the poll was flawed. The United States of America’s Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, in a statement issued on April 1, stated: “The electoral playing field was heavily tilted in the government's favor. The independent press was muzzled; freedom of assembly was constrained; food was used as a weapon to sway hungry voters; and millions of Zimbabweans who have been forced by the nation's economic collapse to emigrate were disenfranchised. On election day itself, more than ten percent of would-be voters overall, and a disproportionately higher ratio in the most hotly contested constituencies, were turned away from polling stations due to irregularities with the voter registration rolls.”7 The Zimbabwe Election Support Network, at a news conference on Sunday 3rd April 2005, welcomed the absence of violence leading up and during the election. But the head of the group, Reginald Matchaba Hove, said Zimbabwe did not comply with SADC election principles in the lead-up to Thursday's polling. He said a climate of fear has surrounded the election process in Zimbabwe since the 2000 parliamentary election, which was marked by violence. Dr. Matchaba-Hove, said that, although this election was generally, peaceful, there were reports of political pressure. "OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTIES WERE NOT FREE TO CAMPAIGN IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. THERE WERE REPORTS OF INTIMIDATION AND THE POLITICIZATION OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION WAS USED TO PERSUADE THE CITIZENS TO VOTE FOR THE RULING PARTY. TRADITIONAL LEADERS THREATENED THEIR SUBJECTS WITH EVICTION, AND, SOMETIMES, UNSPECIFIED ACTION, SHOULD THEY FAIL TO VOTE FOR THE RULING PARTY." 5 ZESN Statement 2005 Parliamentary Elections: 3 April 2005. 6 The Movement for Democracy Change President speaking at a press conference on the 1st April 2005. 7 Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov/) National Constitutional Assembly: THE 2005 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION. FLAWED, UNFREE AND UNFAIR!