Zimbabwe votes in first post-mugabe poll, oppn cries foul

HARARE: Zimbabwe held its first election on Monday since former leader Robert Mugabe was ousted in a de facto coup but the opposition leader alleged voter suppression, raising fears of a disputed result.

Nelson Chamisa is the main challenger to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who served for decades under Mugabe. Mnangagwa is viewed as the frontrunner, though the latest poll shows a tight race.

The election winner faces the task of putting Zimbabwe back on track after 37 years of Mugabe rule tainted by corruption, mismanagement and diplomatic isolation that caused a crisis in a country that once had one of Africa’s most promising economies.

Chamisa on Monday said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) was impeding voting in urban areas where he enjoys strong support but gave no evidence to back the claim.

“The people’s will being negated & undetermined due to these deliberate and unnecessary delays,” he said in a tweet. The ZEC was not immediately available to comment.

Chamisa said his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) would win if there was no “ballot mischief”, making it likely he will challenge the outcome if Mnangagwa prevails. A contested result is likely to lead to street protests and possible violence.

Dozens of people were killed ahead of a runoff in 2008 between Mugabe and Mdc-founder Morgan Tsvangirai, who died of cancer in February.

A credible vote is essential if Zimbabwe is to exit painful sanctions and secure the donor funding and investment needed to stem chronic cash shortages. As a result, the views of election observers are seen as crucial.

EU chief observer Elmar Brok said many voters, particularly young women, left voting queues in frustration at long delays. The EU has not yet concluded how to judge the vote, he said.

“In some cases it (voting) works very smoothly but in others we see that it is totally disorganised and that people become angry, people leave,” Brok told reporters in Harare, adding that it was unclear whether the problems stemmed from coincidence or bad organisation.

Mugabe, 94, led the war for independence and since 1980 has dominated the country’s politics. But since he stepped down under military pressure in November he has lived in obscurity. He emerged on the eve of the election to announce he would vote for the opposition, surprising Mnangagwa who accused him of striking a deal with Chamisa.