HARARE
Zimbabwe’s incumbent president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has been declared the winner of this week’s presidential election, according to the country’s elections commission.The results state that Mnangagwa gained approximately 53% of the vote.
However, both the opposition and analysts immediately questioned and denounced the results. ZANU-PF supporters began to celebrate at the results centre, but the opposition claims that they won the election and will challenge the outcome. Nelson Chamisa, the main opposition leader, has denounced the voting process as a “coup by the ballot box” and accused the elections commission of hastily assembling the results without proper verification.The opposition’s CCC spokesperson has also rejected the result.
“We are in the lead, we will challenge these results, assembled hastily and without real verification.”
“We are ready to form the next government” added Nelson Chamisa during his address to the media.
Mnangagwa took over from former leader Robert Mugabe after a 2017 army coup and was expected to win the election for a second term as his party, ZANU-PF, has been in power for over four decades.