By Meletus EZE
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday said he was delighted by the “extremely positive” information on Monday’s vote, the first since the resignation of former president Robert Mugabe.
“I am delighted by the high turnout and citizen engagement so far.
“The information from our representatives on the ground is extremely positive! Waiting patiently for official results as per the constitution,” Mnangagwa said in a tweet.
His main challenger, Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance also exuded confidence of winning the polls.
“Winning resoundingly…We now have results from the majority of the over 10,000 polling stations.
Vote counting is currently underway with official results expected by weekend.
Similarly, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said it was “confident that elections were not rigged,” after the country’s first national polls since the ouster of former president Robert Mugabe.
The body put voter turnout in the pivotal election at an impressive 75 per cent.
“Counting is almost complete in all provinces. What is left is the verification of the results before being announced,” Election Commission Chairwoman, Priscilla Chigumba, said on Tuesday.
The commission said it would start announcing partial results on Tuesday afternoon. It is obliged to release full results by Saturday.
The elections were a jubilant and by most accounts transparent affair, and were the first in almost four decades without former leader Mugabe on the ballot.
EU electoral observers – allowed back in the country for the first time in years – are due to release their full findings on Wednesday.
But the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) candidate, Nelson Chamisa, was already claiming victory on Tuesday morning, tweeting: “Winning resoundingly.”
“We now have results from the majority of the over 10,000 polling stations. We’ve done exceedingly well,” the 40-year-old said.
“Awaiting (the electoral commission) to perform their constitutional duty to officially announce the people’s election results and we are ready to form the next (government).”
A poll just before the election showed him almost neck-and-neck with incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa – the ruling party candidate, who replaced Mugabe after he was ousted in a November military coup.
Mnangagwa, whose promise to bring foreign investment back to the economically ailing country is dependent on being seen to have held free and fair elections, was more circumspect on Tuesday.
“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,” he tweeted.
If no candidate garners more than 50 per cent, a run-off will be held in September, a scenario dreaded by many Zimbabweans, who remember the violence ahead of a scheduled run-off in 2008.
In the lead-up to Monday’s polls the MDC repeatedly said the system was rigged, claiming irregularities with the voter roll. Chamisa has threatened he will not accept a Zanu-PF victory.
On Monday the MDC complained of reports of pre-marked ballots, long waits at polling stations, and traditional leaders in rural areas being used as polling officers.
David Coltart, a former MDC government minister and human rights lawyer, said late Monday that he was “conscious that major rigging starts after dark.”
Dewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, said that the vote had been largely peaceful, in spite some incidents of intimidation in rural areas.
“The concern is that there could be violence following announcement of results as this was a closely fought election,” he said.
