Zimbabwe: Mr. Emmerson Mnangagwa, the President of Zimbabwe, has won his second term in office, a result rejected by the opposition and questioned by observers.
The official results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) noted that the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) leader won 52.6 percent of the vote compared with 44 percent for Mr. Nelson Chamisa, his main challenger.
Mr. Mnangagwa, who came to power after he took over from longtime leader Mr. Robert Mugabe after a 2017 army coup, was widely expected to secure re-election despite the fact that the country is suffering a continuing economic crisis. According to several analysts, the contest was heavily skewed in favour of the ZANU-PF party, which has ruled the country since independence in 1980.
“Mr. Mnangagwa of the ZANU-PF party is declared duly elected president of the Republic of Zimbabwe,” ZEC chairwoman Justice Chigumba told journalists. Ms. Chigumba added that 80-year-old Mr. Mnangagwa had won more than 2.3 million votes, while 45-year-old Mr. Chamisa had more than 1.9 million.
The elections were affected by delays that fueled opposition accusations that the results were unfair and that some people’s votes were blocked.
Foreign poll monitors observed that the elections had failed to meet regional and international standards. The head of the European Union’s observer mission commented that the vote took place in a “climate of fear”. The Southern African regional bloc SADC’s mission noted issues including voting delays, issues with the voter roll, bans on opposition rallies, and biassed state media coverage.
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