democracy
Zimbabwe presidential election: incumbent Mnangagwa favourite
Election posters in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare advertise candidates in the presidential and parliamentary elections. Incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa has been criticized for patronizing the opposition. photo
© Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP/dpa
Zimbabwe will elect a new President today. The incumbent has been criticized for patronizing the opposition. Human rights activists express concern about political violence in the country.
The elections were overshadowed in the run-up to reports from several human rights organizations warning of intimidation of voters, falsification of voter lists and the occupation of the election commission with followers of the ruling party Zanu-PF. Even after the polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m., there were reports of national delays in some polling stations because the ballot papers were not delivered on time. You can still vote in Zimbabwe until 7 p.m. According to the electoral law, the electoral commission has five days to announce the official election result. First preliminary results are expected on Thursday.
In the South African country with around 16 million inhabitants, there are repeated election-related violence and allegations of manipulation. From 1987 to 2017, longtime ruler Robert Mugabe ruled the country with an iron fist. After the military overthrow of Mugabe, former Vice President Mnangagwa came to power. The election a year later, which Mnangagwa won, was also marred by violence and repression. The governing party Zanu-PF has held power in the country since the country gained independence from the British colonial power in 1980. Zimbabwe’s economy is in a deep crisis with high unemployment and runaway inflation.