Zimbabwe: disputed presidential election result

Written by David Fletcher 03 Aug 2018
Zimbabwe: disputed presidential election result

The opposition party has rejected President Emmerson Mnangagwa's historic presidential election win after a poll marred by deadly violence and allegations of vote-rigging. On 2 August, Mnangagwa was declared the winner of the first election since the toppling of veteran leader Robert Mugabe, with a 6-point lead over Nelson Chamisa, head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Mnangagwa won 50.8 percent of the vote, the election commission said, and Chamisa 44%. The president tweeted, ‘Though we may have been divided at the polls, we are united in our dreams. This is a new beginning. Let us join hands in peace, unity, and love, and together build a new Zimbabwe for all!’ The chances of this happening appear slim, as the MDC has rejected the result as ‘fake’ and says it will challenge it in the courts. Six people have already died in clashes between protesters and the security forces which are patrolling the streets of Harare.

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