[JURIST] Zimbabwean Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa [JURIST news archive] and Public Affairs Minister Chen Chimutengwende were confirmed ousted Monday as returns came in from Saturday's general elections [JURIST report] in the country, but other election results continue to be delayed, according to media reports. Zimbabwe opposition parties renewed allegations that the government had rigged the local, senate, assembly and presidential elections, with unofficial results so far giving a very slight lead to Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) [party website] presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai [BBC profile]. Results for only 52 of 210 parliamentary seats had been announced by Monday, with the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) [party website] party of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] leading opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) [party website] by 26 seats to 25.

Mugabe's administration denied any improper delays in the vote count, with Zimbabwe Electoral Commission [official website] officials attributing the lag to the task of tallying all the results together for the first time in the country's history. State newspaper The Herald [media website] said that the MDC was "preempting results" and inciting supporters to violence. Analysts have projected that the election poses the biggest threat to Mugabe's rule [BBC report] since he took office. Reuters has more.