Zimbabwe says election is clean; opposition is skeptical

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe’s election took an uneasy turn Tuesday when the opposition alleged results were not posted outside one-fifth of polling stations as required by law, and the electoral commission said the impatient nation would have to wait longer to learn who will be its next president.

The government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, meanwhile, suggested the main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, and his supporters were inciting “violence” by declaring he had won Monday’s election even though only a few parliamentary returns have been announced.

“Let me also warn such individuals and groups that no one is above the law,” Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu said. Security forces “will remain on high alert and continue to monitor the security situation in the country.”

Zimbabweans desperately hope Monday’s peaceful vote will lift them out of economic and political stagnation after decades of Robert Mugabe’s rule, but the country is haunted by a history of electoral violence and manipulation that means trust is scarce, despite today’s freer environment.

While the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has five days from the end of voting to release the final tally, the national mood is growing anxious partly because unofficial results are already swirling on social media.

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.

There was no confrontation, but even the possibility of it was an unnerving reminder of the tensions that pervade the southern African nation, debilitated by Mugabe’s long rule. The 94-year-old former leader had been in power since independence from white minority rule in 1980 until he was forced to resign in November after the military and ruling ZANU-PF party turned on him.

Mnangagwa, a former deputy president who fell out with 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.

Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party, has gone further, saying his own count shows that he won the election and that he’s ready to form the next government.

More than 5.5 million people were registered to vote in an election featuring a record number of more than 20 presidential candidates and nearly 130 political parties.

Christopher Torchia and Farai Mutsaka are Associated Press writers.</s>HARARE, July 31 — Zimbabwe’s two rival presidential candidates today both claimed they were heading for victory as votes were counted in the country’s first election since long-time ruler Robert Mugabe was ousted from power.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that his ruling ZANU-PF party was receiving “extremely positive” data on the count, while the opposition leader Nelson Chamisa said his MDC party was “winning resoundingly”.

Zimbabwe appeared to be heading for a contested result in the historic election, raising the likelihood of a bitter battle over allegations of fraud and malpractice from both sides.

“The information from our reps on the ground is extremely positive! Waiting patiently for official results as per the constitution,” Mnangagwa, 75, Mugabe’s former right-hand man, said on Twitter.

Chamisa, 40, who raised allegations of voter fraud repeatedly during the campaign, said that his MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party had results from most of the more than 10,000 polling stations.

“Winning resoundingly... We’ve done exceedingly well,” he said on Twitter after the landmark vote on Monday, adding “We are ready to form the next (government).”

Counting had continued through the night after a strong turnout in Zimbabwe’s first election without Mugabe, who was ousted by the military in November after 37 years in office.

ZANU-PF has held an iron grip on power in Zimbabwe since independence from British colonial rule in 1980, and victory for the opposition would be a major upset.

Analysts have said it was unclear whether the generals, who back Mnangagwa, would accept a MDC win.

Officials overseeing the elections, in which a record number of candidates stood, said many polling stations had queues and estimated that average turnout was around 75 per cent by late Monday afternoon.

Previously-banned European Union election observers, present for the first time in years, said participation appeared high but warned of possible problems in the vote process.

“There are shortcomings that we have to check. We don’t know yet whether it was a pattern or whether it was a question of bad organisation in certain polling stations,” the EU’s chief observer Elmar Brok told AFP.

The bloc will deliver a preliminary report on the conduct of the election on Wednesday.

“Overall (there was) a huge amount of voting — especially young people, mostly in a very good atmosphere, generally peaceful, which is positive,” Brok added.

Counting by candlelight -At one polling station in the capital Harare, officials counted large piles of votes using gas lanterns and candles late into the night.

“I am not shy to say I voted for Chamisa. He is young and can understand our plight as youth,” said Ndumiso Nyoni, 20, a worker at a lodge in Lupane, western Zimbabwe.

With 5.6 million registered voters, full results of the presidential, parliamentary and local elections are due by August 4.

A run-off vote is scheduled for September 8 if no presidential candidate wins at least 50 per cent.

Mugabe, 94, whose authoritarian regime held power via fraud-riddled and violent elections, voted at his customary polling station in Harare alongside his wife Grace after a surprise press conference at his home on Sunday when he called for voters to reject ZANU-PF.

Mnangagwa was the clear election front-runner, benefitting from tacit military support, loyal state media and ruling party controls of government resources.

But his rival Chamisa, a young lawyer and pastor who has performed strongly on the campaign trail, vowed to tap into the huge youth vote.

The new government will face tackling mass unemployment and an economy shattered by the seizure of white-owned farms under Mugabe, the collapse of agriculture, hyperinflation and an investment exodus.

Previously solid health and education services are in ruins and millions have fled abroad to seek work.

In 2008, then opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of the presidential run-off against Mugabe after attacks orchestrated by the state claimed the lives of at least 200 of his supporters. — AFP</s>HARARE-Voters in Zimbabwe are going to the polls in the country’s first election without the involvement of long-time leader Robert Mugabe.

The country’s founding president, Mr Mugabe, was ousted last year after almost four decades in power.

According to BBC, the main contenders in the presidential vote are incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa, of the ruling Zanu-PF party, and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

Parliamentary and local elections are also taking place on Monday.

Polls give Mr Mnangagwa, thought to be 75, a narrow lead over his 40-year-old rival, who leads the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) Alliance.

On Sunday, Mr Mugabe – who first came to power after independence in 1980 – said he would not vote for his successor.

The country is expecting a high turnout of first-time voters. Younger voters are expected to be key – almost half of those registered are under the age of 35.

Hundreds of international observers have been deployed to ensure the vote goes smoothly, but the opposition has repeatedly alleged irregularities in the voter roll.

They have also expressed concern over the security of ballot papers and voter intimidation in mainly rural areas.
• Known as “the crocodile” because of his political shrewdness – his party faction is known as “Lacoste”
• Accused of masterminding attacks on opposition supporters after the 2008 election
• Thought to be 75 years old, he promises to deliver jobs, and is seen as open to economic reforms
• Survived several alleged assassination attempts, blamed on supporters of ex-President Mugabe
• His skull was fractured when beaten up by state security agents in 2007
• Became an MP at 25, a cabinet minister at 31 and could become the youngest president at 40
• A recently qualified pastor, he has been using the hashtag #GodIsInIt for his campaign
• Has promised to rebuild the country’s devastated economy, but has been criticised for making extravagant promises – such as the introduction of a high-speed bullet train and bringing the Olympics to Zimbabwe

The election follows decades of repressive rule which have brought severe economic challenges to Zimbabwe.

These include issues of investment, education, healthcare and jobs – some estimates suggest that the unemployment rate is as high as 90%.

Mr Mugabe, who resigned in November after the military took control of the country, said: “I cannot vote for those who tormented me… I hope the choice of voting tomorrow will thrust away the military government and bring us back to constitutionality,”

The 94-year-old indicated that Mr Chamisa was the only viable candidate.

In response to the comments, Mr Mnangagwa accused his former boss of making a deal with the opposition.

“It is clear to all that Chamisa has forged a deal with Mugabe, we can no longer believe that his intentions are to transform Zimbabwe and rebuild our nation,” he said.

Mr Mugabe also denied that, as president, he had planned to hand the leadership to his wife, Grace, saying it was “utter nonsense”.
• 5,635,706 people have re-registered to a new voters’ roll; the opposition still has doubts about its accuracy
• 43.5% of registered voters are under 35
• 16 years since EU and US observers were allowed to monitor elections</s>This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Counting has begun in Zimbabwe’s first election since the removal of Robert Mugabe, with the result determining the former British colony’s future for decades.

Millions of people voted peacefully across the county on Monday and turnout appeared extremely high, with long lines of voters forming outside polling stations across the country when they opened at 7am (0600 BST).

By early afternoon, polling officials in the capital, Harare, and surrounding towns were reporting that between 75% and 85% of registered voters had cast their ballots. Full results are not due until much later in the week, and possibly as late as the weekend.

Speaking as he queued at a primary school on the outskirts of Harare – an opposition stronghold – Tinashe Musuwo, 20, said: “I am very optimistic this morning. Things will get better now.”

The two main candidates could not be more different: the president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, was a longtime Mugabe aide and is head of the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Nelson Chamisa, 40, who leads the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), is a lawyer and pastor whose only experience of power was a stint as a minister in a coalition government several years ago.

The two represent dramatically different ideologies and political styles, as well as generations. Mnangagwa offers continuity; Chamisa a radical rupture.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Nelson Chamisa of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change attends a church service in Harare. Photograph: Jerome Delay/AP

Chamisa said on Tuesday that he was “winning resoundingly” in the election count and that his MDC party had results from 10,000 polling stations.

“Winning resoundingly... We’ve done exceedingly well,” he said on Twitter, adding “We are ready to form the next (government).”

On Monday, the MDC leader claimed there was an attempt to “suppress and frustrate” the vote in urban areas where he has strong support through “unnecessary delays”.

International observers offered varying impressions of the election, but they all noted it had been peaceful.

Elmar Brok, the EU’s chief observer, said the voting had been “very smooth” in some cases and “totally disorganised” in others. Other observer missions said they had seen “nothing abnormal and nothing to question the poll’s credibility”.

Nyari Musabeyana, 30, a hairdresser in Kuwadzana, near Harare, said she had got up early to vote for change. “We wish things to be OK in our village. We have no jobs, no cash, no economy. It is the fault of the past government,” Musabeyana said.

Almost four decades of rule by Mugabe has left Zimbabwe with a shattered economy, soaring unemployment and crumbling infrastructure.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest An election officer applies indelible ink to a voter’s finger during early morning voting in Kwekwe. Photograph: Jekesai Njikizana/AFP/Getty Images

Polls give Mnangagwa, a dour former spy chief known as “the Crocodile” for his reputation for ruthless cunning, a slim lead over Chamisa, a brilliant if sometimes wayward orator.

Support for Zanu-PF has historically been strongest in rural areas, particularly its Mashonaland heartland, where more than two-thirds of Zimbabwe’s 17 million people live.

Daniel Chiwesengwa, 74, a retired municipal officer who voted at a remote polling station, said: “The story of our country is the story of this party. They have always done a lot for the people. Chamisa is a young guy. This country needs someone mature.”



If no candidate wins more than half the votes, there will be a runoff in five weeks, though analysts believe this scenario is unlikely. Another possibility is negotiations to form some kind of coalition government if the result is very close.

Although the campaign has been free of the systematic violence that marred previous polls, the MDC has repeatedly claimed it has been hindered by a flawed electoral roll, ballot paper malpractice, voter intimidation, bias in the Zimbabwe electoral commission and handouts to voters from the ruling party.

Diplomats in Harare say the “playing field has not been level”.



There are also widespread fears among opposition activists and supporters that the government or the powerful military will refuse to cede power if defeated. This would provoke massive protests, MDC loyalists said.

“If we are robbed, we will go to the streets,” one MDC supporter said.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former Liberian president and a leader of one of the observer missions accredited for the first time in Zimbabwe, spoke of “a critical moment in Zimbabwe’s democratic journey”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Children look through a window above election posters featuring Emmerson Mnangagwa. Photograph: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

“The elections today provide an opportunity to break with the past,” Sirleaf said at a polling station in a school in Harare. “The lines and voter enthusiasm we are seeing … must be matched by an accurate count and their choice must be honoured.”

Zimbabwe’s rulers know that a fraudulent election would block the country’s reintegration into the international community and deny it the huge bailout package needed to avoid economic meltdown.

Mnangagwa has stressed foreign investment and “unity” during campaigning.

On Monday, he urged Zimbabweans to be peaceful, tweeting: “We are one people, with one dream and one destiny. We will sink or swim together.”

For the first time since Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980 after a brutal guerrilla war against a white supremacist regime, Mugabe is not on the ballot paper. In an astonishing intervention on Sunday, the former president said he would not vote for his former party, Zanu-PF, or the current president, and endorsed Chamisa.

“I cannot vote for the party or those in power who caused me to be in this condition,” he said.

Almost all voters who spoke to the Guardian in recent days said they were happy with a “free and fair” campaign.

Masiwa Nachipo, 45, an unemployed teacher from Norton, 25 miles from Harare, said: “I am very happy. It is a very important election for me, my kids and the future of generations. We need a big change. We want a fresh start.”</s>HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe's election took an uneasy turn Tuesday when the opposition alleged results were not posted outside one-fifth of polling stations as required by law, and the electoral commission said the impatient nation would have to wait longer to learn who will be its next president.

The government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, meanwhile, suggested the main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, and his supporters were inciting "violence" by declaring he had won Monday's election even though only parliamentary returns have been announced.

"Let me also warn such individuals and groups that no one is above the law," Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu said. Security forces "will remain on high alert and continue to monitor the security situation in the country."

Zimbabweans desperately hope Monday's peaceful vote will lift them out of economic and political stagnation after decades of Robert Mugabe's rule, but the country is haunted by a history of electoral violence and manipulation that means trust is scarce, despite today's freer environment.

While the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has five days from the end of voting to release the final tally, the national mood is growing anxious partly because unofficial results are already swirling on social media.

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.

There was no confrontation, but even the possibility of it was an unnerving reminder of the tensions that pervade the southern African nation, debilitated by Mugabe's long rule. The 94-year-old former leader had been in power since independence from white minority rule in 1980 until he was forced to resign in November after the military and ruling ZANU-PF party turned on him.

Mnangagwa, a former deputy president who fell out with 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.

Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party, has gone further, saying his own count shows that he won the election and that he's ready to form the next government.

Chamisa's party also said results have not been posted outside 21 percent of the country's nearly 11,000 polling stations, raising concerns about possible vote-rigging. It suggested there was a deliberate effort to delay announcing the results, reflecting deep suspicion about the panel presiding over the election.

Priscilla Chigumba, a judge who heads the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, said she was confident there had been no "cheating" in the first election without Mugabe on the ballot. Each polling station must post its results outside after vote-counting, she said.

"We will not steal their choice of leaders, we will not subvert their will," Chigumba said.

"The atmosphere has remained peaceful" and the commission has not received any major complaints about the election, she said.

The commission said it would delay releasing any results of the presidential race until all the votes are collated. If no presidential candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held Sept. 8.

More than 5.5 million people were registered to vote in an election featuring a record number of more than 20 presidential candidates and nearly 130 political parties.

Western election observers were in Zimbabwe, a sign of a freer political environment since the resignation of Mugabe, who declared he would not vote for the ruling party he long controlled and called Chamisa the only viable candidate.

Meanwhile, a monitoring group, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, issued preliminary findings on the vote, noting improvements such as a biometric registration system that reduced the chances of fraud.

However, it noted problems with implementation, saying the election commission at one point allotted more registration kits to rural areas and fewer to urban areas. The ruling party has strong rural support, while the opposition is popular in the cities.

Elmar Brok, head of the European Union monitoring mission, said Tuesday that his team noted some "inconsistencies" but that overall there was "progress" compared to past elections.

"In African elections, often stakes are very high and nobody has a backup plan for losing," said John Dramani Mahama, former president of Ghana and head of the observer mission from the Commonwealth nations, mostly former British colonies.

The contenders in Zimbabwe's vote must accept the results and "should look at the larger picture of success, a successful election for Zimbabwe," he said.

A voter in Harare said Zimbabwe is eager to hear the election results as soon as possible.

"Because people are not yet settled, they're thinking of too many things," said 65-year-old Chaka Nyuka. "They need a good change. People are looking for that."</s>Polls close in Zimbabwe's first election after the fall of longtime leader Robert Mugabe

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Polls close in Zimbabwe's first election after the fall of longtime leader Robert Mugabe.</s>HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Polls close in Zimbabwe's first election after the fall of longtime leader Robert Mugabe.</s>Harare, Zimbabwe: In a surprise address to the nation after months of silence, Zimbabwe's former leader Robert Mugabe emerged just hours before Monday's historic election declaring that: "I will not vote for those who have illegally taken power" and turning his back on the ruling party he long controlled.

Slow and rambling, the 94-year-old Mugabe spoke to reporters on Sunday with bitterness about his dramatic removal in November under military pressure and amid a ruling party feud.

He was coy about endorsing anyone ahead of the election in which the former deputy that he fired, President Emmerson Mnangagawa, faces a 40-year-old lawyer and pastor, Nelson Chamisa. He indicated, however, that Chamisa was the only viable candidate.

"I cannot vote for those who have tormented me," Mugabe said in a reference to Mnangagwa, who took office with the military's support. "I cannot vote for ZANU-PF," the ruling party that has rejected him as well.

Mugabe, who has backed a new political party that is part of a coalition supporting Chamisa, said of him: "He seems to be doing well at his rallies... I wish to meet him if he wins."

And he added: "Whoever wins, we wish him well ... And let us accept the verdict."

Later on Sunday, Mnangagwa said in a video posted on Facebook that Chamisa had "forged a deal" with Mugabe and that a vote for the opposition leader amounted to an endorsement of the old order.

"We can no longer believe that his intentions are to transform Zimbabwe and rebuild our nation," the president said.

Chamisa, meanwhile, said at a news conference that he welcomed the vote of Mugabe or any other Zimbabwean and that "you don't discriminate against voters."

Many in Zimbabwe knew no other leader but Mugabe, who led the country for 37 years after independence from white minority rule in 1980. What began with optimism crumbled into repression of the opposition, alleged vote-rigging, violent land seizures from white farmers and years of international sanctions.

The southern Africa nation hopes that a credible vote on Monday could get those sanctions lifted and bring badly needed investment for a collapsed economy. Mnangagwa, a former Mugabe confidante, has tried to recast himself as a voice for reform, inviting back Western dozens of election observers and pledging a free and fair vote.

Mugabe defended Zimbabwe's election commission after Chamisa and the opposition raised concerns that the vote will be flawed, saying that "it acts quite freely." And in a breathtaking statement, he asserted that his long stay in office had been free from meddling: "It was not the army that ensured I remained in power."

He blamed "evil and malicious characters" for his resignation, which was met with a joyous outpouring by thousands of people in the capital, Harare, and elsewhere. "I was a fool to have him next to me," he said of Mnangagwa, whom he accused of conniving with the military chief to pull off a "coup".

Mugabe said he resigned to avoid "bloodshed" and defended his wife, Grace, who just months ago appeared to be positioning herself for the presidency: "Leave, leave, leave my wife alone."

Zimbabwe's former leader, who appeared to have finally allowed his hair to go gray, spent the final question musing on his legacy, reminding people of his years in prison during the country's fight for liberation and his work raising literacy and education standards. "I tried to do my best," he said, as journalists began to drift away.

While Mugabe, who has largely remained quiet in his Harare home since leaving power, spoke largely of the past, Zimbabweans are already impatient for the future — and Monday's vote.</s>(HARARE, Zimbabwe) — Zimbabweans on Monday were voting peacefully in their first election without Robert Mugabe on the ballot, a contest that could bring international legitimacy and investment or signal more stagnation if the vote is seriously flawed.

About 5.5 million people were registered to vote in this southern African nation anxious for change after economic and political paralysis during the nearly four-decade rule of 94-year-old Mugabe.

Long lines formed outside many polling stations in Harare, the capital, and elsewhere.

“I want to do this and get on with my business. I am not leaving anything to chance. This is my future,” said Emerina Akenda, a first-time voter.

Thousands of election monitors fanned out across the country to observe a process that the opposition says is biased against them despite electoral commission assurances that it will be credible.

The two main contenders are 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former deputy president who took over after Mugabe stepped down under military pressure last year, and 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who became head of the main opposition party a few months ago after the death of its leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Mugabe on Sunday called Chamisa the only viable candidate and rejected Mnangagwa and the ruling party, saying that “I cannot vote for those who have tormented me.”

Piercing whistles and cheers greeted Chamisa as he voted outside Harare, saying that “it’s a great moment for Zimbabwe.” He said he hoped voting in rural areas, where most of Zimbabwe’s voters are and where the ruling party usually holds away, will be fair.

Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to be peaceful, tweeting: “We are one people, with one dream and one destiny. We will sink or swim together.” He voted and called the election peaceful, and he took Mugabe’s criticism in stride, saying: “He is a citizen … He can engage me anytime.”

A record of more than 20 presidential candidates and nearly 130 political parties were participating. If no presidential candidate wins 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held Sept. 8.

“This is a critical moment in Zimbabwe’s democratic journey,” said Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Liberian president and a leader of one of the international observer missions.

“The elections today provide an opportunity to break with the past,” Sirleaf said at a polling station in a school in Harare. “The lines and voter enthusiasm we are seeing this morning must be matched by an accurate count and their choice must be honored.”

Past elections were marred by violence, intimidation and irregularities, but Mnangagwa, a former enforcer for Mugabe who says he now represents change, has promised that this election will be free and fair.

The presence of Western election monitors for the first time in years is an indicator of a freer political environment, though concerns have been raised about state media bias toward the ruling party as well as a lack of transparency with the printing of ballot papers.

European Union election observers were seen at one polling station in Harare, checking the voting process. African Unions attended the opening of polling stations elsewhere.

Even though it was a public holiday, some government offices were open so that those who had lost identity cards could get replacements and then cast their ballots.

Inside polling stations, voters were given three ballot papers: one for their presidential pick, another for member of parliament and a third for local councilor. Polling officers helped voters put each ballot paper in the right box.

“We need change because we have suffered a lot here,” said 65-year-old Mable Mafaro while voting in Harare. “We have suffered a lot. That’s all.”</s>Zimbabwe’s former president Robert Mugabe has suggested that his vote would go to Nelson Chamisa, leader of the main opposition party, and his historic enemy.

On the eve of the presidential election, the former president appeared before the media in Harare at a surprise press conference.

Zimbabweans go to the polls on Monday for its first election since Mugabe’s ouster last November.

The 93 year old politician touched on several other issues including his expulsion from the party he formed and why the press should leave his Grace Mugabe alone.

But will Robert Mugabe’s public intervention, tip the electoral scale? Emmerson Mnangagwa however faces a determined opposition, led by Nelson Chamisa, who leads the Movement for Democratic Change.
Voters in Zimbabwe go to the polls to elect a new president and members for both houses of the Parliament, the first election to not involve longtime former president Robert Mugabe.