Mugabe stole poll, says opponent

HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has accused Robert Mugabe of stealing the Zimbabwe presidential elections.

Mugabe was announced the winner on Wednesday with 57 percent of the vote against Tsvangirai's 42 percent -- or 1.685 million votes against 1.258 million. (Full story)

International reaction has varied from anger and accusations of election rigging, to praise for a legitimate poll. (Full story)

Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, said there would be "legal options" to overturn the "blatant stealing of the election."

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He told CNN: "The people have been robbed of their right to elect a leadership. (The result) is illegitimate.

"This is the biggest electoral fraud I have ever witnessed. This election does not reflect the true will of the people of Zimbabwe."

Riot police have been stationed in MDC strongholds, including parts of the capital Harare, amid fears of street protests against the result.

But Tsvangirai added: "We seek no confrontation with the state because that is what it is looking for. We foresaw electoral fraud but not daylight robbery."

Members of Mugabe's ZANU-PF party rejected criticism of the vote and said the election process had been fair.

The MDC alleged the poll was rigged by reducing the number of polling stations in areas where there support was highest.

They also accused election officials of slowing the vote in those areas to cut the number of people able to vote. Other voters said their names had been wiped off the electoral role.

Both MDC and ZANU-PF members said their supporters had been intimidated by the other side.

The U.S. has joined Australia and European Union nations in criticising the election.

Walter Kansteiner, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African affairs, said the only aspect of the poll that met recognised norms was the announcement of the date of the poll. "They did that well and that was about it."

He added that Washington was looking at imposing further sanctions against Mugabe and his inner circle.

The UK, Zimbabwe's former colonial ruler, has led criticism of what it says was Mugabe's attempts to stifle opposition to win the presidency.

It is now likely to press the Commonwealth to follow the U.S. and EU lead in imposing sanctions.

But South Africa and Nigeria -- two Commonwealth nations which had observers in Zimbabwe for the election -- said the poll should be considered legitimate.

A coalition of church and civic groups known as the Crisis in Zimbabwe Committee said it was considering calling for a general strike to channel the inevitable voter anger over a Mugabe victory into a peaceful protest.

CNN's correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault said: "The whole country is on a knife-edge -- there is a lot of fear here. Security forces are on full alert and trucks of police with riot gear have spread out through major towns.

"White farmers accused of transporting MDC supporters to voting stations have been threatened and told to leave their farms."

The ballot counting began Tuesday after three days of voting.