What next for Zimbabwe?

The MDC reported on its web site today that Tsvangirai had won 1,169,860 votes to Mugabe's 1,043,451, and third party leader Simba Makoni had won 169,636 votes.

The numbers, if accurate, would give Tsvangirai 50.3 percent of the vote total enough to prevent a run-off election.

But Mugabe, who has ruled the country since 1980, has yet to concede. In fact, his government has yet to announce the official results, although the election took place last Saturday. Instead, Mugabe associates are said to be considering the possibility of a run-off election, according to published reports.

In the parliamentary race, the MDC reported that it had won 99 seats, including all 12 House of Assembly seats and 4 out of 5 senatorial seats in Bulawayo, the second largest city, and 28 out of the 29 seats in Harare, the nation's capital and most populous city.

The New York Times, however, reported that the MDC had won 106 seats in Parliament so far, giving it a majority in the 210-seat assembly. The Times said Mugabe's ZANU PF party had only 93 seats after losing several races, including seven of the president's cabinet ministers.

Meanwhile, the state-run newspaper, The Herald, called the parliamentary results a "photo finish," and said that "neither major party has an absolute majority and even when the results of three by-elections caused by death of candidates are known, neither will have the 106 seats needed for an absolute majority."