Zim holds its breath after deadly protests
Harare – As a tense Zimbabwe waited last night for the release of results of the presidential election, the main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, was adamant he had won and President Emmerson Mnangagwa knew he had lost otherwise the results would have been announced earlier.
But the ruling Zanu-PF yesterday said it would peacefully concede defeat to the MDC Alliance’s Chamisa in the event that the ruling party lost the elections.
The vote was the first since Robert Mugabe was effectively deposed late last year in a move initiated and supported by the Zimbabwe National Army. Mugabe’s deputy, Mnangagwa, replaced him as head of state.
In his first public appearance since the vote on Monday, Chamisa urged his supporters to be calm and await “massive celebrations” for his victory. Chamisa said he could not give any figures because he would be breaking the law.
Zanu-PF secretary for legal affairs, Paul Mangwana, told reporters in Harare should his party lose, they would walk away and re-strategise for the next election.
The ruling party has already won the majority of parliamentary seats in the elections and would want to complete a clean sweep by claiming victory in the much-coveted presidential polls.
“When you control two-thirds majority in parliament, there is no way you can fail to win the elections. I know we have won the election, but we wait for the announcement,” Mangwana said.
“Nevertheless, in the unlikely event that we lose the elections, we request our supporters to accept the verdict of the people and allow Chamisa to take over.”
Mangwana’s remarks came in the wake of deadly violent protests by supporters of the MDC Alliance, who were calling on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to immediately release presidential results.
The violence, which rocked the capital on Wednesday, left several people dead. Soldiers deployed under special emergency regulations allegedly opened fire on protesters and beat others.
Yesterday, troops were again used to clear the streets. The election authority appealed for calm.
The government has put the blame on the MDC Alliance for the violence, while the opposition party accuses ZEC and ZanuPF of conniving to rig elections.