A runoff will quite understandably give him more of the third place, ex government candidate, votes than the Opposition, so he wins by 51% to 49%.

Clever trick. You have to admire the man.

As in the tradition of Hitler, Sadaam, Blair, Bush...

Mind you, the Florida votes were the dodgiest democratic trick of all. Even Mugabe looks honest compared to that.

If the opposition want to be equally smart, the 2 "other" candidates will unite if there is indeed a second ballot, thus preventing a split in the opposition vote.
Unfortunately, the British government played into Mugabe's hands from about 1997 onwards by failing to acknowledge and stick to the Lancaster House Agreement. Shame on Clare Short and co.

Please note my prediction in this post - it looks more and more likely.

Yep, I saw it coming as well. I would not be at all surprised if Mugabe rigged it and won the election, but there's no love lost between the third place candidate and Mugabe, and it should not be assumed that his supporters would necessarily back Mugabe, in fact, I don't think most of them will.
But seeing the cosiness of Mugabe's relationship with the electoral commission, as seen on the news tonight, leaves me in no doubt that there's a fair chance he'll rig the election and stay in power.

Even he manages to cling on by a thread, i just can't see the people stomaching it this time. There appears to be a real cry out for a change (like the "anybody but Mugabe" trend), more than in recent times and if he somehow survives i think the country will take to the streets and chaos will reign.

So if he win's there will be chaos and if he lose's and refuses to go there will be chaos.

Anyone fancy a hoilday in Zimbabwe??

Notice how my prediction is spot on so far... Mugabe hangs on in there, just like we knew he would.

When will someone start to understand truth and reality? However ugly it may be.