Australia calls for a re-run of Zimbabwe election
By Associated Press
Aug 4, 2013 5:24 AM CDT

Australia's government has called for a re-run of Zimbabwe's election, warning that Australia won't lift sanctions unless free and fair polls are held.

Zimbabwe's electoral panel declared Saturday that longtime President Robert Mugabe won re-election by a landslide in Wednesday's poll. Mugabe's chief rival and former coalition partner, Morgan Tsvangirai, accused the 89-year-old leader of poll-rigging.

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said Sunday that it appeared large numbers of people could not vote, casting doubts on the credibility of the results.

He said in a statement that "Australia calls for a re-run of the elections based on a verified and agreed voters roll."

Without a new election, Carr said Australia won't lift its remaining sanctions on Zimbabwe, which include travel bans and financial measures against 33 individuals and one entity.