Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The election commission reports that Emmerson Mnangagwa, president of Zimbabwe, has won a second term with 52.6% of the vote.
The opposition asserted massive vote tampering, and international observers deemed the election to have fallen short of democratic standards. Only the third president of Zimbabwe, Mr. Mnangagwa. He took over following the overthrow of President Mugabe in 2017.
Zimbabweans continue to experience high inflation, extreme poverty, and a fearful atmosphere. When he first took office, Mr. Mnangagwa, also known as “The Crocodile” due to his savagery, promised a fresh start for the people of his nation.
However, Zimbabwe had one of the highest rates of inflation last month; from the previous year, prices had risen by a staggering 101.3% in July. Considering that only 25% of Zimbabweans have formal occupations, unemployment is still rampant.
Nelson Chamisa, a candidate for the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), was Mr. Mnangagwa’s major rival and received 44% of the vote, according to the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC). According to the ZEC, Mr. Mnangagwa received Zimbabwe over 2.3 million votes, while Mr. Chamisa received 1.9 million.
The electoral board reported a 69% voter participation in the nation of about 16 million people. The constitutional court upheld the outcome despite the opposition’s allegations of voting fraud.
A number of difficulties with the election were raised by observer teams from the EU, Commonwealth, and 16-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), including the prohibition of opposition demonstrations, problems with the electoral register, skewed state media coverage, and voter intimidation.
Read Next: Ecuador Struggles with Division After Violent Election Campaign
Election Aftermath and Party Disputes
The period leading up to the election was relatively violent-free, although CCC members were found guilty on what they claim were false charges intended to harm the party.
Since it was founded in January of last year, the party claims that approximately 100 rallies have been prohibited by the police, including dozens since July.
40 CCC members were detained earlier this month while participating in legislative campaigning in Harare, the nation’s capital.
Concerns over rights were further heightened by the recent murder of a CCC supporter, which was allegedly carried out by members of Mr. Mnangagwa’s Zanu-PF party.
For insulting the president, which is a crime that carries a one-year jail sentence, a fine, or both, critics are still being detained and prosecuted in court.
After reportedly being overheard by a police officer in Harare suggesting that Mr. Mnangagwa will lose the next election, a man was charged in April. With the victory of Mr. Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe has been governed by Zanu-PF for 43 years, ever since the nation gained independence from British domination in 1980.
In addition, the party was proclaimed the victor in the contest for parliamentary seats after winning 136 of 210 seats, with the CCC obtaining 73. 60 more seats are set aside for women, and they are chosen via proportional representation.
Source: BBC
