In a statement late Saturday, August 25, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced that President Emmerson Mnangagwa was re-elected with 52.6% of the vote for a second and final five-year term. Nelson Chamisa, his main rival, had 44% of the support. This news came earlier than expected, in the southern African country, known for its history of violent and disputed elections.
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Emmerson Mnangagwa, who assumed the presidency after a 2017 military coup against Robert Mugabe, obtained 52.6% of the votes in the elections that took place in the middle of this week. This victory ensures that the ZANU-PF party retains the governmental leadership it has held throughout Zimbabwe’s 43-year history since its independence in 1980.
Although the voting in this election was not reported as violent as in the past, there were problems and concerns. International election observers raised questions about the atmosphere leading up to the vote, noting an atmosphere of intimidation against supporters of Mnangagwa’s main rival, Nelson Chamisa.
The election was originally scheduled to take place in a single day, but was extended due to delays in printing ballots. The speed in announcing the results also drew attention, since they were expected several days after the closing of the voting.
The opposition party has rejected the results and uncertainty persists amid allegations of manipulation of the results and repression of election observers by the ruling party.
Fraud allegations amid ZANU-PF victory
Nelson Chamisa, leader of the Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC), the main opposition partyHe was quick to express his discontent. Chamisa called the election a “gross and flagrant fraud” and stated that he will challenge the results due to the lack of proper verification in the compilation of the results.
For his part, Emmerson Mnangagwa, 80, was confident at a press conference this Sunday, August 26, rejecting the accusations of fraud and declaring that the elections were carried out in a transparent and fair manner.
However, international observation has cast shadows on the integrity of the process. Observers from the European Union noted a “climate of fear” in the votewhile the Southern African Development Community (SADC) reported delays in voting and problems with voter registration.
In addition, 41 local observers of the elections were arrested and taken to court while being charged with subversion. The opposition has rejected these acts and has ensured that the charges have been fabricated.
In a statement issued this Sunday by the United Nations, Secretary General António Guterres called on political leaders and their supporters to categorically reject all forms of violence, threats of violence or incitement to it. In addition, he stressed the importance of fully respecting human rights and the rule of law.
Likewise, he called on the competent authorities to address any conflict in a “fair, efficient and transparent” manner, thus guaranteeing that the results reflect the will of the population.
The CCC has not accepted the final tally and has promised to announce its next steps. Uncertainty persists as we wait to see how this situation will play out in the coming days.
The country, with a population of 15 million peoplehas witnessed a number of economic and political challenges over the years, making the election of its leader especially significant.
Zimbabwe’s economic challenges
Zimbabwe’s economy has faced hard times and most Zimbabweans depend on informal jobs to survive. The local currency has been drastically devalued against the US dollar; Zimbabwe has used both the Zimbabwean dollar and the US dollar since 2009 to end hyperinflation.
The need for economic and political reforms has been a pressing issue to revitalize a nation that was once a regional power. The country owes $14 billion to foreign lenders and another $1.6 billion for infrastructure projects, to China.
With the results released, tensions have risen in a nation torn between celebration and controversy. Zimbabwe’s political future remains uncertain.
With Reuters and AP
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