President Emmerson Mnangagwa is the front-runner as Zimbabweans head to the polls on Wednesday for both presidential and parliamentary elections. Mnangagwa’s primary challenger is Nelson Chamisa of the CCC party, who narrowly lost to Mnangagwa in the previous 2018 elections.
Leading up to the polls, various human rights organizations have reported significant issues in the electoral process, including voter intimidation. These concerns stem from allegations of electoral rule falsification and the appointment of supporters of the ruling Zanu-PF party to the electoral commission.
As polling booths opened at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT), delays were reported in some polling stations nationwide due to delayed delivery of necessary documentation. Polling stations are scheduled to close at 7 p.m., after which the electoral commission will have five days to announce the official results, although preliminary results are expected sooner.
Mnangagwa, aged 80, seeks to continue his tenure as the leader of Zimbabwe, a country with approximately 16 million people. The nation has been grappling with decades-long economic crises, marked by rampant inflation and high unemployment rates.
Zimbabwe’s elections have a history marred by violence and allegations of manipulation. The country was governed by Robert Mugabe, a strongman, from 1987 until 2017. Following Mugabe’s removal by the military, former Vice President Mnangagwa assumed power. However, the elections won by Mnangagwa a year later were also overshadowed by violence and repression.
A former British colony, Zimbabwe has been under the rule of the Zanu-PF party since gaining independence in 1980.
dpa/NAN
