Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been elected to a second term with 52.6% of the vote, the electoral commission says. However, the opposition claimed widespread vote-rigging and international observers said the vote fell short of democratic standards.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said Mr Mnangagwa’s primary challenger, Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate Nelson Chamisa, secured 44% of the vote. Mr Mnangagwa received more than 2.3m votes, while Mr Chamisa took 1.9m, according to the ZEC. The electoral body said voter turnout in the country of almost 16m was 69%.
Mr Mnangagwa’s election means Zanu-PF has ruled Zimbabwe for 43 years since the country gained independence from British rule in 1980. The party was also declared the winner in the parliamentary race, securing 136 of 210 seats, with the CCC taking 73. A further 60 seats are reserved for women and are appointed through proportional representation. BBC
