DATE=03/12/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=Zim Elex / Early Results

NUMBER=2-287472

BYLINE=Challiss McDonough

DATELINE=Harare

VOICED AT:

///Resending to attribute vote results to government official in intro. No other changes.///

INTRO: Results are starting to trickle in for Zimbabwe's presidential election. With only a few of the votes counted, incumbent President Robert Mugabe has an early lead, according to the government's registrar general. V-O-A's Challiss McDonough reports from Harare.

TEXT: Incumbent President Robert Mugabe is facing a stiff challenge from opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change. It is the first time in Zimbabwe's 20 years of independence that Mr. Mugabe has faced a real threat to his hold on the presidency.

According to state television, the registrar-general says turnout in the landmark election was relatively low overall, with about 55 percent of registered voters going to the polls. But turnout was noticeably lower in the M-D-C strongholds of Harare and Bulawayo.

Only 41 percent of registered voters cast their ballots in Harare, despite an extra day being added to the voting period. Tens of thousands of people were turned away when polling stations closed at the end of the third day.

///REST OPT///Two independent civic groups and the Norwegian observer mission have already condemned the election as not free or fair -- in large part because they say so many Harare residents were not able to vote.

The groups also say the poll was marred by pre-election violence, mostly blamed on Mr. Mugabe's party, ZANU-P-F.

Final results in the presidential election are not expected until sometime Wednesday. (signed)

NEB/CEM/MEM