Thousands flee deadly flooding
RIOTING HAS erupted in Zimbabwe’s capital as opposition supporters clashed with police and army troops over delays in announcing results from the presidential election.
The security forces opened fire with guns, water cannons and tear gas, and protesters burned cars and threw rocks as helicopters hovered above Harare.
A lifeless body was seen near the demonstration, which came amid the delay in revealing the result of the country’s first presidential election since the fall of longtime leader Robert Mugabe.
Armoured personnel carriers ferried troops and riot police to the scene.
Dark smoke rose near the offices of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission where protesters burned tyres and at least two vehicles.
The commission postponed announcing results of Monday’s tightly fought presidential race, pitting President Emmerson Mnangagwa against opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.
The commission said it would release vote totals “some time” on Thursday, even though it said most of the results “are here with us”.
Agents for all 23 candidates must verify them first, it said.
The ruling Zanu-PF party won a majority of seats in parliament, the electoral commission said.
“The more the presidential vote is delayed, the more it calls into question the population’s confidence in the election procdential ess,” said former Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the lead observer of a US monitoring mission.
“The longer it (the delay in announcing the results of the presidential race), the more the issue of lack of credibility arises,” European Union observer Elmar Brok said.
Both the EU and US missions urged the release of the presi- results as soon as possible.
The EU mission questioned why presidential votes were counted first but were being announced last.
The EU observer mission expressed “serious concerns” as representatives of Western and other groups gave their first assessments of whether the vote was free and fair – crucial for lifting international sanctions on the once-prosperous country.
The EU observer mission said “a truly level playing field was not achieved” in the election, pointing out the “misuse of state resources, instances of coercion and intimidation, partisan behaviour by traditional leaders and overt bias in state media”.
It said the election campaign and voting were largely peaceful in a break from the past.
The opposition has alleged irregularities, saying voting results were not posted outside one-fifth of polling stations as required by law.
Mr Mnangagwa’s government has accused Mr Chamisa and his supporters of inciting violence by declaring he had won.
“Let me also warn such individuals and groups that no-one is above the law,” home affairs minister Obert Mpofu said.
Flooding has killed 12 people and forced more than 132,000 others to take shelter at nearly 300 temporary camps.
The highest death toll was in the Bago region north of Yangon, where four people died and more than 94,000 others took refuge in 186 camps.
It said torrential rains and strong winds destroyed some bridges and forced people to flee their homes in low-lying areas.
Roads were cut by flooding in some areas, although a major highway that had been blocked for several days was reopened on Tuesday as the floodwaters receded, it said.