Zimbabwe opposition leader Nelson Chamisa said on Tuesday he was winning the election “resoundingly” as votes were being counted in the first election since Robert Mugabe was ousted from power. Mr Chamisha said on Twitter: “Winning resoundingly…We now have results from the majority of the over 10,000 polling stations. “We’ve done exceedingly well. Awaiting ZEC to perform their constitutional duty to officially announce the people’e election results and we are ready to form the next government.” His party had collected results from more than 100,000 polling stations, which showed the MDC had done exceedingly well and was ready to form the next government.

Counting continued through the night on Monday after a strong turnout in Zimbabwe’s first election without Mugabe. A turnout of 75 percent was reported by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), as millions flocked to the polls on Monday. The other contender is 75-year-old Emmerson Mnangagwa , who was seen as the frontrunner according to initial data but the latest polls showed a tight race. Mr Mnangagwa reported he was feeling "extremely positive” after receiving information from Zanu-PF representatives on the ground.

He said on Twitter: “I am delighted by the high turnout and citizen engagement so far. “The information from our reps on the ground is extremely positive! Waiting patiently for official results as per the constitution.” There will be a runoff on September 8 if no candidate wins more than half votes. A source at one group said it was too early to call a winner but it was looking “very close.”

Final election results are expected within five days on Saturday, August 4. Several civil society groups are collating results in parallel with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) but are not allowed to release results before the ZEC. The results are coming from 10,985 polling stations. In some rural constituencies, the counting of votes was still ongoing but was expected to end early on Tuesday, some parliamentary candidates said.</s>Zanu-PF supporters are in a carefree and a jovial mood outside Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, following news that the ruling party has won a parliamentary majority.

The BBC's Pumza Fihlani has been to Concession, an hour's drive north of Harare, to find out why.</s>Harare, July 31 (IANS) Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Nelson Chamisa claimed on Tuesday that the election results were turning out in his favour, pending official confirmation, while incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa showed optimism regarding the whole election process.

Mnangagwa, the ex-vice President who was brought to power in 2017 when long-serving leader Robert Mugabe was ousted, and Chamisa are the two frontrunners in the country’s first presidential election in 37 years.

“Winning resoundingly. We now have results from the majority of the over 10,000 polling stations. We’ve done exceedingly well,” Chamisa, who leads the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said on Twitter.

He is a 40-year-old lawyer and pastor whose only experience of power was a stint as a minister in a coalition government several years ago.

“Awaiting ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) to perform their constitutional duty to officially announce the people’s election results and we are ready to form the next government,” Chamisa added.

Meanwhile, Mnangagwa on his Twitter account, said: “I am delighted by the high turnout and citizen engagement so far. The information from our reps on the ground is extremely positive! Waiting patiently for official results as per the Constitution.”

Mnangagwa, a longtime Mugabe aide and head of the ruling Zanu-PF party, is a dour former spy chief known as “the Crocodile” for his reputation for ruthless cunning.

The official results are expected to be revealed between Friday and Saturday.

The Zimbabwe Election Commission said it had not seen any evidence of rigging or cheating. International observers said they had seen few problems other than some poor organisation in places, according to the Guardian.</s>HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's opposition accused the election commission on Tuesday of deliberately delaying results of this week's vote to favor the ruling party, reporting irregularities in the first poll since the removal of Robert Mugabe in a November coup.

Even though the election passed off peacefully, several water cannon trucks patrolled outside the central Harare headquarters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) as its red-shirted supporters danced in the streets.

Some local results from parallel parliamentary elections have been declared but the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has yet to produce any figures from Monday's presidential vote.

ZEC chief Priscilla Chigumba said the presidential result may not be ready until Saturday.

Former MDC finance minister Tendai Biti and ZESN, the main domestic election monitor, said one in five polling stations - more than 2,000 in all - had not physically posted tallies on their doors, as required by law.

That omission gave room for the ZEC, which ZESN and the opposition have accused of bias, to manipulate the results in favor of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling ZANU-PF party, Biti said.

"There is a deliberate delay in formally announcing results," Biti told a news conference, characterizing it as "interference with the people's will".

ZESN and other civil society groups were preparing a legal challenge to force the results into the open, Biti said.

ZEC said there was no rigging or cheating in the vote, whose credibility is vital in Zimbabwe's attempts to emerge from the pariah status and economic decay into which it sank in the latter half of Mugabe's nearly four decades in charge.

However, ZEC did not explain the failure by the polling stations to post results.

The poll is a two-horse race between 75-year-old Mnangagwa, a long-serving security chief who took over after Mugabe's removal, and 40-year-old MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.

Both men have expressed confidence in victory although Western diplomats and local observer groups said the race, which saw a turnout of 75 percent, was too close to call.

"The information from our representatives on the ground is extremely positive!" Mnangagwa said on his official Twitter feed.

Chamisa had earlier said he was poised for victory, writing on Twitter: "Awaiting ZEC to perform their constitutional duty to officially announce the people's election results and we are ready to form the next government."

As well as electing a president, Zimbabweans were voting for 210 members of parliament and more than 9,000 councillors.

The final outcome may not be known until Aug. 4. In the absence of a clear winner, a run-off will be held on Sept. 8.

The winner must put Zimbabwe back on track after 37 years under Mugabe tainted by corruption, mismanagement and diplomatic isolation that brought one of Africa's most promising economies to its knees.

Election monitor sources said Monday's vote appeared to have passed without major foul play although they noted some coercion and intimidation of voters in rural areas by ZANU-PF and said state media was biased toward the ruling party.

Chamisa questioned the independence of the ZEC and said voters were being suppressed in urban areas where he is popular. ZANU-PF has denied any misconduct.

Whatever the outcome, unrest remains possible. If the MDC loses and contests the result there could be street protests. Protracted court battles could also spark violence and delay much-needed economic reforms.

Should Mnangagwa lose, many Zimbabweans fear some in the ruling party may not accept the result, particularly given the huge risks some senior cadres and army officers took in removing Mugabe. Some of the organizers of the coup are now in government, including Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.

Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF have said they will accept the result, but after a string of questionable elections under Mugabe, many Zimbabweans remained skeptical.

"If this guy loses there is no way they will hand over power," said Gift Machekera, pointing at a huge banner of Mnangagwa hanging on a building in Harare. "Those who have the guns have the power. This is Africa."

Several civil society groups are collating results from 10,985 polling posts in parallel with ZEC but are not allowed to release results early. A source at one group said it was too early to call a winner but it was looking "very close".

In the capital Harare, an MDC stronghold, results posted outside some polling stations showed Chamisa winning by wide margins, but Mnangagwa was expected to claw back ground in ZANU-PF's rural heartland. Urban results tend to emerge quicker than those from rural outposts.

The run-up to Monday's vote was peaceful compared with past elections under Mugabe, where the ruling party and veterans of the 1970s independence struggle were accused of violence against opponents. Dozens of people were killed ahead of a runoff in 2008 between Mugabe and MDC-founder Morgan Tsvangirai, who died of cancer in February.

Mugabe emerged on the eve of the election to announce he would vote for the opposition, surprising Mnangagwa who accused him of striking a deal with Chamisa.</s>Voters in Zimbabwe are queuing to cast their ballots in the first general election since the ousting of long-time president Robert Mugabe – and faith has a huge role to play in the future of a largely Christian country, according to Christian Aid's country manager there.

Mugabe, a leader of the struggle against white rule, oversaw decades of political repression and the economic collapse of a once-prosperous country. He was removed from office after one of today's presidential candidates, Emmerson Mnangagwa, overthrew him with the help of the military.

Mnangagwa heads the ruling Zanu-PF party and held office under Mugabe. His main opponent Nelson Chamisa – a pastor who uses the hashtag #GodIsInIt – leads the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The MDC is popular in the cities, while Zanu-PF's electoral heartland is the countryside.

According to Christian Aid's country manager Nicholas Shamano: 'Zimbabwe is largely a Christian country and a large population (about 80 per cent) go to church at least once a month. Faith leaders are really respected and their role is also to help to inform or influence policy direction, and to help to hold leadership to account for their actions and for the decisions being made.

'At Christian Aid we do believe that there is space and scope for faith leaders to influence society, and they have that pulling power to do so. Faith leaders stand on a high moral ground, so when they call for certain issues that affect people to be addressed, somebody is bound to listen. They are not political opponents in such instances, and they are viewed as objective, so it really helps.'

He said that so far the voting had been 'largely calm but expectant', though there were fears about the transparency of the process. 'The major concern is just around the process being transparent, credible, and people being able to freely exercise their democratic rights, so that whatever comes out of the election is respected: then maybe the country can move forward,' he said. 'That's basically what's people are looking for in the short term.'

Chamisa has accused his rival Mnanagagwa, who has a slight lead, of vote-rigging.

Shamano said Christian Aid partners like the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) have been 'influencing the agenda beyond the elections, on issues around national peace and reconciliation, and peacebuilding and addressing the socio-economic situation'.

'For instance, the economy and infrastructure are big issues for the Zimbabwean context. Unemployment is high, there are cash shortages, and investment is quite low at the moment. We are facing issues relating to corporate governance, basic infrastructure, the capacity of institutions to deliver major services: these are some of the major gaps that people in Zimbabwe would want to see being addressed.'</s>Harare — Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC party on Tuesday claimed victory in the country’s historic elections, setting the scene for a showdown with the ruling Zanu-PF that has held power since independence in 1980.

Senior MDC official Tendai Biti said party leader Nelson Chamisa had won the presidential race, and alleged that the authorities were delaying the publication of results.

"The results show beyond reasonable doubt that we have won the election and that the next president of Zimbabwe is Nelson Chamisa," Biti told a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Harare.

"We are however seriously concerned about evidence of interference … there is a deliberate delay in announcing the results. This delay is totally unacceptable."

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, has also said he was confident of victory in Zimbabwe’s first election since former leader Robert Mugabe was ousted in November after 37 years in power.

"The information from our reps on the ground is extremely positive! Waiting patiently for official results as per the constitution," Mnangagwa said on Twitter early Tuesday.

The rival claims pointed to a contested result, raising the prospect of competing fraud allegations and a possible run-off vote in September — required if no candidate wins at least 50% of ballots in the first round.

Analysts have said it was unclear whether the country’s generals, who ousted Mugabe and ushered Mnangagwa into office, would accept a win by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Defeat for the ruling party would likely lead "to a denunciation of the election by the Mnangagwa administration and the potential for the military to intervene to secure power for Zanu-PF," the London-based BMI risk consultancy said.</s>Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission (ZEC) said on Tuesday there was no rigging or cheating in the first national election since the end of Robert Mugabe’s nearly four decade rule.

ZEC chair Priscilla Chigumba told reporters in Harare that vote counting was complete in most provinces and the first results would be announced from 3pm.

As well as electing a president, Zimbabweans were voting for 210 members of parliament and more than 9,000 councillors.

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his main opponent Nelson Chamisa both said on Tuesday they were confident of victory..

Mnangagwa, 75, a long-serving security chief who took power after Mugabe was toppled in a de facto coup in November, said he was receiving “extremely positive” information on the vote.

Chamisa, 40, said his opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had done “exceedingly well“.

Western diplomats and local observer groups said the race, which saw a turnout of 75%, was too close to call.

Holding a peaceful vote that is accepted as fair at home and abroad is essential if Zimbabwe is to exit painful sanctions and secure the donor funding and investment needed to stem chronic cash shortages.

Several elections under Mugabe saw rigging and violence as his ruling ZANU-PF party clung onto power.

The winner faces the task of putting Zimbabwe back on track after 37 years under Mugabe, tainted by corruption, mismanagement and diplomatic isolation that caused a crisis in a country that once had one of Africa’s most promising economies.

Sources among election monitors said Monday’s vote appeared to have passed without major foul play, although they noted some coercion and intimidation of voters in rural areas by ZANU-PF and said state media was biased towards the ruling party.

Chamisa complained ahead of the vote about the independence of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and said voters were being suppressed in urban areas where he is popular.

Whatever the outcome, there is still a potential for unrest.

If the MDC loses and contests the result there could be street protests with a potential for violence, and a protracted legal process that could stunt economic reforms.

Should Mnangagwa lose, many Zimbabweans fear some in the ruling party may not accept the result, particularly given the huge risk they took in removing Mugabe.

“The information from our representatives on the ground is extremely positive!”

Mnangagwa said on his official Twitter feed.

Chamisa had earlier said he was poised for victory, writing on Twitter: “Awaiting ZEC to perform their constitutional duty to officially announce the people’s election results and we are ready to form the next government.”</s>This is the first election since the removal of the former President and leader of Zanu-PF, Robert Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe for more than 37 years. Nelson Chamisa, the 40-year-old leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), tweeted his party is doing “resoundingly well” in the polls. But a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, Derek Matyszak, said Zanu-PF is still well entrenched, powerful and militant in its political manoeuvres. He said: “If it looks like the opposition party is winning, the state will simply shut down the results process.

“If Chamisa looks like he is winning, we will likely not see those election results. “Zimbabwe’s problems will continue whether Chamisa or Mnangagwa wins.” He also said President Emmerson Mnangagwa is favoured by the international community. Mr Matyszak added: “Chamisa has few allies in the international community.

“Everybody wants to see Mnangagwa win because of his promise of the normalisation of Zimbabwean politics. “The British have hardly concealed their preference to Mnangagwa, although their official position has been that as long as the election is free and fair, they will be happy.” Allen Munoriyarwa, who is writing his PhD on the study of several past Zimbabwe elections, raised concern the election may have been held too soon after the unseating of Mugabe. He said: “After the demise of the Mugabe regime, people expected a unity government to preside over building economic stability, then managing fresh elections. But that did not happen.</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption BBC captures footage of post-election violence in Harare

Three people were killed in Zimbabwe's capital Harare after troops opened fire on rioting opposition supporters, police say.

The government says the army was deployed in central Harare to help police restore order.

The opposition MDC Alliance condemned the crackdown, saying it was a reminder of the "dark days" of Robert Mugabe's rule.

It alleges that the governing Zanu-PF party has rigged Monday's elections.

Parliamentary results show Zanu-PF heading for a big majority in the first elections since long-serving ruler Mr Mugabe was ousted from power.

The presidential result has yet to be declared. However, the MDC Alliance insists that its presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa, won Monday's election.

European Union monitors have expressed concern over the length of time it is taking to declare the presidential result.

What are the two sides saying?

President Emmerson Mnangagwa was quoted by state broadcaster ZBC as saying: "We hold the opposition MDC Alliance and its whole leadership responsible for this disturbance of national peace, which was meant to disrupt the electoral process."

He later took to Twitter to urge peace:

Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the army had been deployed in Harare to disperse a violent crowd and to restore "peace and tranquillity".

He added: "The presence of the army is not to intimidate people but to ensure that law and order is maintained. They are there to assist the police."

A spokesman for Mr Chamisa condemned the deployment of soldiers and the subsequent loss of life.

"Soldiers are trained to kill during war. Are civilians enemies of the state?" he asked.

"There is no explanation whatsoever for the brutality that we saw today."

Correspondents say the violence was confined to the centre of Harare - an opposition stronghold - while other parts of the country remain calm. Latest reports from the capital suggest the security forces are in control of the streets.

'Chaotic scene of burning tyres'

By Pumza Fihlani, BBC News, Harare

Army vehicles and police trucks rolled into Zimbabwe's main city on Wednesday after the wait for the election results took an ugly turn.

MDC Alliance supporters had been gathering in various parts of Harare since the morning, but when news came that Zanu-PF had won the majority of seats in parliament and that the presidential results were not ready, the previously upbeat mood changed.

Opposition supporters went on the rampage down Harare's busy streets, heading towards an old Zanu-PF office and carrying large stones, sticks and anything else they could grab along the way. The crowd chanted: "We want Chamisa."

They believe the election has been stolen, and are demanding the MDC be announced as the winner.

Riot police using water cannon and tear gas arrived to a chaotic scene of burning tyres and an unrelenting crowd. There were hundreds of them. They jeered and pelted the police vans with stones.

In another part of the city where more opposition protesters had gathered, the army used whips to disperse them.

Today's clashes may not have been on the scale of the "days of old", where intimidation by security police was the order of the day, but it's certainly not the peace many had been praising until now. Something has changed here.

What results have been declared?

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has announced 140 seats for Zanu-PF so far, and 58 for the MDC Alliance, ZBC state media reported. There are 210 seats in the National Assembly's lower house.

More than five million people were registered to vote, and there was a high turnout of 70%.

ZBC had reported that the electoral commission would announce the presidential results at 12:30 local time (10:30 GMT) on Wednesday, but only parliamentary results were read out.

The BBC's Shingai Nyoka reports that the announcement on the presidential poll was not made because representatives of some of the 23 candidates had failed to turn up to verify the results.

A presidential candidate needs more than 50% of the vote to win outright. Otherwise, a run-off election will be held on 8 September.

What are election observers saying?

The EU mission has criticised the delay in announcing the presidential results. Zec has until Saturday to do so.

Image caption The electoral commission says 70% of registered voters took part in the election

It said it had observed several problems, including media bias, voter intimidation and mistrust in the electoral commission, adding that there was an "improved political climate, but un-level playing field and lack of trust".

This is the first time in 16 years that the government has allowed EU and US election monitors into the country.

The African Union mission has said the elections "took place in a very peaceful environment" and "were highly competitive".

It added that it could not confirm opposition parties' complaints of vote-buying, intimidation by the state and bias by traditional leaders.

A preliminary report by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) observers said the elections were largely peaceful and conducted in accordance with the law.

More on post-Mugabe Zimbabwe

Meet the frontrunners:

Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zanu-PF

Image copyright AFP

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.

Read more: The 'crocodile' who snapped back

Nelson Chamisa, MDC Alliance

Image copyright Reuters

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.

Read more: The crusader taking on Zimbabwe's 'crocodile'</s>Aug. 2 (UPI) -- The Zimbabwean government warned protesters Thursday about rising violence after three people died in protests over the ruling Zanu-PF party's apparent election victory.

The three died in the capital Harare and scores were injured in demonstrations Wednesday over the party's parliament wins.

The election is the country's first since long-time leader Robert Mugabe was ousted by a coup in November.

The violence has placed the country on edge with fears of returning to bitter relations between two parties.

"While a key pillar of democracy, the election has plunged us back to the acrimonious days of Robert Mugabe," analyst Thulani Mabona said. "Suspicions of rigging which have not been helped by ZEC's opaque operations have renewed the bitter relations between the two rival parties. Although vote rigging can best be proven by the experts, the democratic drawback is quite apparent."

In response, police have invoked the Public Order Security Act that forbids any public gatherings.

Witnesses told Al Jazeera soldiers opened fire Wednesday to disperse stone-throwing opposition party supporters who accused the Zanu-PF party of rigging the vote.

Opposition alliance Movement for Democratic Change called the state's response "disproportionate and unjustified."

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa blamed the violence on supporters of opposition leader Nelson Chamisa and urged the MDC to "remove its violent supporters from the street."

European Union observers have criticized the presidential and parliamentary votes. An Election Observation Mission statement said there was an "un-level playing field, intimidation of voters and lack of trust in the process undermined the pre-election environment."

With official presidential vote results in Monday's election yet to be announced, the EU statement added, "We now hope for a transparent and traceable results process."

John Dramani Mahama, chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group expressed "profound sadness at the outbreak of violence by supporters of the opposition and the excessive use of force by the security services."

Mahama urged people to be patient while awaiting final results.

"It has been sixteen years since the Commonwealth observed elections in Zimbabwe," Mahama's statement said. "We were last here for the 2002 Presidential Election. This election, therefore, is of great significance to us. It is a privilege to be here, in support of the people of Zimbabwe, at another milestone in their democratic journey. Again, we express our hope that peace prevails."
Violence breaks out in Zimbabwe amid allegations of election-rigging by the ruling Zanu-PF party.