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December 10, 2000 

HARARE, Zimbabwe-- (AP) - President Robert Mugabe issued a decree banning opposition court challenges over disputed election results, the main state newspaper reported Saturday.

The decree said "even if corrupt or illegal practices were committed" in parliament elections in June, no results would be invalidated, according to The Herald.

The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change party was to contest 38 results at court hearings scheduled to begin in January.

Mugabe's party won a narrow majority of 62 of the 120 parliament seats contested in the June 24-25 vote. In the last parliament, his party controlled all but three seats. It still has a clear majority of the 150-seat legislature because Mugabe appoints 30 lawmakers.

The opposition said Saturday it was shocked by Mugabe's action and would appeal to have the decree overturned on constitutional grounds.

"Not only is it outrageous, but it's a blatant admission that many of Mugabe's candidates were elected illegally, and that makes the entire government illegitimate," said opposition lawmaker David Coltart, the MDC legal secretary.

The opposition was contesting seats where it had gathered evidence of violence and intimidation by state agencies and ruling party supporters, vote buying, rigging and breaches of electoral procedures under the nation's election laws, Coltart said.

In violence sparked during the June elections, 32 people died and thousands were left homeless after their houses were destroyed. Most of the victims were opposition supporters.

Coltart said in some districts violent ruling party militants prevented the opposition from campaigning and that "in itself is an offense and grounds for voting to be declared invalid in a paticular area."

Mugabe's decree, issued in an official notice late Friday, according to The Herald, said disputed poll results could not be contested "in the interest of democracy, peace, security and stability."

It said imminent litigation was placing what it described as intolerable burdens on elected lawmakers that were compromising their work in the legislature.

Many cases were seen by state officials as frivolous after two recounts demanded by the opposition in closely fought districts returned ruling party candidates with slightly higher votes, The Herald said.

It said the government also alleged the opposition's contests were being sponsored by "external interests whose intentions are inimical to the political stability of Zimbabwe."

Mugabe has accused Britain - the former colonial power - Western business organizations and wealthy whites of supporting moves to oust his government.

Mugabe has frequently used his sweeping powers in recent years. In September, he ordered police to shut down two private radio stations that had opened after the Supreme Court ruled the state broadcasting monopoly was in breach of constitutional rights of free expression.