Opposition rejects Zimbabwe poll results; Mugabe promises constitutional change News
Opposition rejects Zimbabwe poll results; Mugabe promises constitutional change

[JURIST] Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai Saturday rejected the official results of national parliamentary elections held Thursday. The official tally gave President Robert Mugabe's ruling party 74 seats, while Tsvangirai's party, the Movement for Democratic Change [official website], is said to have won 40 seats. The results came amid allegations of widespread fraud [JURIST report] designed to ensure Mugabe's Zanu PF party [official website] would remain in power. International observers have criticized the poll, and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated that the elections were "heavily tilted in the government's favor". Mugabe has promised to alter Zimbabwe's constitution and establish a second parliamentary chamber. The current constitution concentrates power in the hands of one president. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.