Robert Mugabe, 89, was declared winner of Zimbabwe's disputed election on Saturday, while his main rival Morgan Tsvangirai rejected the result as “fraudulent” and vowed to challenge it in court and in regional forums, Reuters reported. Africa’s oldest leader, who has ruled the former British colony since it’s independence in 1980 was re-elected to his seventh term, receiving 61.09% of the vote. African observers have broadly approved Wednesday’s peaceful vote, but Western observers were kept out of the country by Mugab’e regime. In its strongest criticism so far of the poll, the European Union said on Saturday it was concerned about alleged irregularities and a lack of transparency in the election. The election marks an end to an uneasy coalition government between the Mugabe and Tsvangirai, which was formed after post-election violence marred the last balloting in 2008.
