ZIMBABWE is tallying the ballots from a constitutional referendum that looked set to curb President Robert Mugabe's powers and tee up crucial elections in the violence-plagued nation.
The first incomplete trickle of results pointed to landslide backing for the text, which would introduce presidential term limits, beef up parliament's powers and set polls to decide whether the 89-year-old Mugabe stays in power.
Mugabe has ruled uninterrupted since the country's independence in 1980, despite a series of disputed and violent polls and a severe economic crash propelled by hyper-inflation.
The draft constitution is part of an internationally backed plan to get the country on track. Zimbabweans' verdict on the draft is expected to be known within five days of the voting.
According to the Movement of Democratic Change, the party of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, of the nearly 90,000 votes initially counted in the second city of Bulawayo only 6250 were against the draft.
Mugabe has backed the proposed constitution, which enshrines his drive to put land in the hands of black Zimbabweans. Also, the clauses are not retroactive so he could if re-elected remain president for another 10 years.
His political rival Tsvangirai has also lent his support to the text, although turnout is expected to be low.
But that has not prevented the threat of violence from looming over the vote, as party militants keep one eye on the general election.
A vote is expected to take place in July, but doubts remain about whether it can take place as planned.
Shortly before polls opened on Saturday, gunmen later identified as plain clothes police detectives, seized a member of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) from his home northeast of Harare.
Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told AFP Samson Magumura had been arrested on charges of attempted murder in connection with a recent firebomb attack that injured a Mugabe ally.
While casting his vote on Saturday, Mugabe, whom many blame for past unrest, urged Zimbabweans to ensure the referendum proceeded peacefully.
"You can't go about beating people on the streets, that's not allowed, we want peace in the country, peace, peace," he said.
Mugabe, the target of 11 years of Western sanctions over political violence and rights abuses, also used the opportunity to vow the United States and European countries would not be allowed to monitor the upcoming general election.
"The Europeans and the Americans have imposed sanctions on us and we keep them out in the same way they keep us out," he said.
Tsvangirai on Saturday expressed hope that a positive outcome would help catapult the country out of a crisis marked by bloodshed and economic meltdown.
Zimbabwe police detained three senior aides to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in the wake of a key referendum, the premier's office said.
They "were arrested in Harare (on Sunday) morning," a source in Tsvangirai's office told AFP, adding that the charges were not specified.
The three were detained by plain clothes police officers at their homes.
They were named as Thabani Mpofu, Anna Muzvidziwa and Felix Matsinde.
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