Mughabe to Cede Power?

That is the speculative word from the Associated Press...

Advisers of President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai are discussing the possibility of Zimbabwe's longtime leader relinquishing power, The Associated Press learned Tuesday.

Independent observers say trends indicate Tsvangirai won the most votes in the presidential race, but not enough to avoid a runoff — a prospect that could be humiliating to the 84-year-old president.

No returns from Saturday's presidential vote have been made public, fueling fears of rigging. Mugabe has been accused of stealing past elections, though that was before Zimbabwe's economy collapsed and leading members of his own party openly defied him.

A person close to the Electoral Commission told the AP that Mugabe has been informed he is far behind Tsvangirai in preliminary election results, and that there could be an uprising if Mugabe were declared the winner. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said aides to both men were discussing Mugabe's ceding power.

This would be welcomed news. Mughabe has run that country so deep into the ground that its inflation rate recently topped 100,000% no misprint. Also, unlesses he cedes power, there will likely be the sort of violence that we saw in the aftermath of the Kenyan elections.