Mugabe's judges reject poll petition

From the Australian:

ZIMBABWE'S High Court last night predictably dismissed a petition by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change to order the immediate release of results from the March 29 presidential election.

The court, stacked with appointees of Robert Mugabe, awarded costs against the MDC, a decision likely to appeal to the Zimbabwean despot, who now has even more time to rig the poll in which MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai claimed victory a week ago.

"The matter has been dismissed with costs," judge Tendai Uchena said in his judgment...

With the MDC calling voters to stage an indefinite national strike from today in light of the High Court decision, party officials were in conference late last night with lawyers....

Justice Uchena last night also gave a judicial snub to southern African leaders, who at a weekend summit called for the result to be released "expeditiously".

The MDC said yesterday the continuing delay in making public the results of the ballot held more than two weeks ago, and the breathing space given to Mugabe by the failed Lusaka summit, was permitting the regime to widen its campaign of violent intimidation in rural areas...