Zimbabwe election: Three dead in violent Harare protests as security forces battle demonstrators after Zanu-PF win in parliament vote
Millions peacefully cast their votes but soldiers now deployed in streets as presidential result delayed
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At least three people have been killed as police and soldiers in Harare clashed with opposition protesters amid a delay in announcing the winner of Zimbabwe’s presidential election. The scene in the capital has deteriorated into serious disorder, according to reports on the ground.
Gunfire was also heard after supporters of Movement for Democratic Change leader Nelson Chamisa took to the streets. Mr Chamisa has accused the ruling Zanu-PF party of electoral malfeasance and claimed he won the “popular vote” following Monday’s poll.
Zanu-PF won a two-thirds majority in the national assembly of parliament in the country’s first general election since Robert Mugabe was ousted from power in November 2017. The result means incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s party will be empowered to make changes to the constitution at will.
But the result of the presidential poll has not yet been announced. Zimbabwe’s electoral commission has repeatedly revised its stance on when the presidential winner will be announced, with European Union observers questioning the delay.
The EU team identified a string of problems in Monday’s poll. They said a level playing field was not achieved due to voter intimidation, media bias and misuse of state resources, though the largely peaceful process was a clear improvement over the Mugabe era.
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The two main contenders in the presidential race were Mr Mnangagwa, a former deputy president and intelligence chief, and Mr Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who leads the Movement for Democratic Change.
More than 5.5 million people were registered to vote and turnout was around 70%.
Both candidates issued upbeat assessments of how they did on polling day, with Mr Mnangagwa tweeting: ”I am delighted by the high turnout and citizen engagement so far”.
The election featured a record number of more than 20 presidential candidates and nearly 130 political parties vying for parliamentary seats.
Western election observers were in Zimbabwe, reflecting a freer political environment since the November resignation of Mr Mugabe, who had ruled since independence from white minority rule in 1980.
But there were concerns about bias in state media coverage of the election, a lack of transparency in ballot printing and reports of intimidation by pro-government local leaders who are supposed to stay neutral.
Last night things had taken an uneasy turn when the MDC alleged that results were not posted outside the one-fifth of polling stations mandated by law.
Dozens of opposition supporters even gathered at their headquarters in the capital, Harare, celebrating in the belief that they had won the presidential election based on results they said they collected from agents in the field. As they danced to music blasting from speakers set up on a truck, police with water cannon circulated in the area.
Current leader Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former deputy president who fell out with Robert Mugabe and then took over from him, has said his showing in the presidential polls was "extremely positive" while urging people to wait for official results.
Additional reporting by AP
The morning after the day before, Zimbabwe is basking in sunny and pleasant weather, according to forecasts.
Incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa's mood likely reflected the weather following the electoral commission's announcement his party had clinched a parliamentary majority.
Voters in Zimbabwe traditionally pick a presidential candidate based on their party affiliation and the trend in the parliamentary election was expected to continue when results for the president are announced this week.
European Union observers are expected to deliver their report on Zimbabwe's presidential election today.
Electoral officials warned the full results may not be announced for several days, as both the ruling Zanu-PF and opposition Movement for Democratic Change parties talked up their showing.
The EU's report will take in the conduct of the campaign, the polls and the counting process, AFP reported.
Here is a tweet from Zimbabwe's electoral commission announcing turnout
Those readers wanting a full, vote-by-vote breakdown of who has been elected to which constituency can find it here, on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's website.
Nelson Chamisa, the opposition presidential candidate, has accused the ruling Zanu-PF party of trying to steal the general election today.
It comes after official figures gave President Emmerson Mnangagwa's party a majority in parliament.
On his official Twitter feed, Mr Chamisa accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of releasing the parliamentary results first to prepare Zimbabweans for a Mnangagwa victory.
"The strategy is meant to prepare Zimbabwe mentally to accept fake presidential results. We've more votes than ED [Emmerson Dambudzo]. We won the popular vote [and] will defend it," Mr Chamisa said.
The commission said it would only announce the results of Zimbabwe's presidential race after all the votes had come in.
On Wednesday, foreign observers, including the European Union, who have been monitoring the elections for the first time since 2002, will issue their verdict on Monday's vote.
These are the first elections not to feature former leader Robert Mugabe on the ballot.
Zimbabwe was once one of Africa's most promising economies but under Mr Mugabe's decades-long rule, became tainted by corruption, mismanagement and diplomatic isolation.
Its population of 13 million is struggling amid shortages of foreign currency, unemployment above 80 per cent and a lack of foreign investment.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Here, our diplomatic editor Kim Sengupta, in Harare, reports on the situation following the electoral commission's announcement.
Following Nelson Chamisa's accusations, it is worth re-posting the words of Electoral Commission boss Priscilla Chigumba from yesterday.
She told reporters on Tuesday that the atmosphere around the polling "remained peaceful", and that the commission had not received any major complaints about how the election was conducted.
She said she was confident there was no "cheating" and the commission would respect the will of Zimbabweans: "We will not steal their choice of leaders, we will not subvert their will."
If no presidential candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the vote, a run-off will be held on 8 September.
Yesterday, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network - an observer group that brings together civil society bodies - raised concerns about the electoral commission's independence. But it added that the poll had been handled better than in previous years.
Zimbabwe's electoral commission is set to announce results of Monday's presidential election in less than two hours, according to state-run media.
The body had previously said it would wait to announce the presidential results until all votes had come in from around the country.
The announcement is expected at 12.30pm local time.
The race pits President Emmerson Mnangagwa against opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, whose supporters on Tuesday were already claiming victory based on agents in the field throughout the country
They also are raising concerns about alleged vote-rigging.
The commission has announced that the ruling Zanu-PF party has won a majority of seats in Parliament.
Additional reporting by AP
Zimbabwe's presidential and parliamentary vote was peaceful and orderly, and has opened the door to a strengthened democratic process within the country, according to election observers from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) bloc.
Manuel Domingos Augusto, the Angolan foreign minister and SADC representative, called the elections "a political watershed in Zimbabwe's history, as they may open a new chapter leading towards socioeconomic recovery and consolidation of democracy".
He said efforts should be made to allow the millions in Zimbabwe's diaspora, barred from voting abroad, to take part in future elections.
He also referred to criticism of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for the late release of the voters' roll, as well as bias toward the ruling party by state media and traditional leaders.
He urged anyone with grievances to refrain from violence.
SADC's announcement comes just minutes before Zimbabwe'e Electoral Commission is expected to announce the result of the presidential race - some considerable time earlier than had been anticipated.
Additional reporting by AP
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