DATE=3/12/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=ZIMBABWE ELECTION (S)

NUMBER=2-287458

BYLINE=CHALLISS MCDONOUGH

DATELINE=HARARE

INTERNET=YES

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Election officials in Zimbabwe are counting ballots in the country's controversial presidential election. Before the results are known, two independent civic groups are condemning the elections as terminally flawed. V-O-A's Challiss McDonough has more from Harare.

TEXT: The ballot-counting had barely begun when independent civic groups began blasting the Zimbabwean presidential election as un-free and unfair. They say tens-of-thousands of people were systematically denied their right to vote.

Reginald Matchaba-Hove of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network says this was by far the most-flawed poll in Zimbabwe's 20-years of independence.

/// MATCHABA-HOVE ACT ///

There is no way that these elections can be described as substantially free and fair. We have never seen such a poorly organized election.

/// END ACT ///

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Group, says the election has been poisoned and there is unlikely to be any other result than a victory for incumbent President Robert Mugabe.

A spokesman for the ruling party, ZANU-P-F, denies that there has been any rigging. Spokesman Jonathan Moyo says the party would not be able to rig an election even if it wanted to. He says the ZANU-P-F is confident of victory, but only because its voters went to the polls in large numbers. (SIGNED)

NEB/CEM/KL/RAE