Zimbabwean polls come to an end, countdown begins at hinge election

HARARE, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe polling stations closed on Monday after the first elections without former leader Robert Mugabe on the ballot, and election officials are preparing to begin counting

Earlier, the main opposition leader in this nation of southern Africa said the reports of late voting were a "deliberate attempt" to undermine his supporters. The charges of Nelson Chamisa, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, have heightened concerns about the management of elections and the prospect of a dispute over their outcome.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, former vice president, promised a credible vote He hopes to bring legitimacy and international investment. A seriously flawed process could signal more stagnation. Mugabe, 94, has headed Zimbabwe since his independence in 1980 until his resignation in November, and many people are eager to change.

Chamisa worries about delays in polling stations in urban areas where support for opposition is traditionally strong. The ruling ZANU-PF party has dominated many rural areas in past elections marked by violence and irregularities.

"There seems to be a deliberate attempt to repress and frustrate urban voters with unnecessary delays." He acknowledged that there had been a "good participation".

After 7 pm After closing a polling station, the president asked the polling stations of the parties to inspect the voting booths to make sure there were no ballot papers. vote. Then, the polling stations inspected the ballot boxes, noting the serial numbers on the locks

Twelve hours earlier, long lines were formed outside many polling stations in Harare, the capital, and elsewhere. Anyone online from 7 pm The opposition parties feared that their supporters would walk away if they were forced to wait for hours in the open air without food or drink.

Some observers welcome Zimbabwe's more free political environment, but are concerned about the state's bias. the media, lack of transparency in the printing of ballots and intimidation reports of traditional pro-government leaders supposed to remain neutral.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, accused of winning elections "We need peace and we need everyone to be comfortable going out and exercising their right to vote without fear "said Priscilla Chigumba, a judge who chairs the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. She expressed confidence that voting in most of the country's 11,000 polling stations would be completed by the close of the polls.

About 5.5 million people voted for an election considered by many as an opportunity to go beyond political decades. and economic paralysis.

A record of more than 20 presidential candidates and nearly 130 political parties participated. If no presidential candidate wins 50 percent of the vote, a second round will take place on 8 September.

"I want to do that and continue my work, I leave nothing to chance," said Emerina Akenda, a voter for the first time

The two main contenders are Mnangagwa, 75, who took the next generation after Mugabe resigned under pressure from the ruling party last year and Chamisa, 40, a lawyer and a pastor who became head of the main opposition party a few months after death of its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai

After the vote, Mnangagwa declared that the election was peaceful and that he was engaged in a Zimbabwe where people "freedom to express their points Negative or positive. "

Whistles and cheers greeted Chamisa as he was voting outside of Harare. He said he hoped to vote in rural areas, where most Zimbabweans voters are and where the ruling party generally reigns, would be

Despite Mugabe's troubled legacy, dozens of enthusiastic Zimbabweans gathered in front of the polling station. vote. Struggling to walk, Mugabe raised his fist to recognize them. He went to the voting center and had his finger inked, and was helped by his wife in the booth.

Mugabe said Sunday that Chamisa was the only viable candidate and rejected Mnangagwa and the ruling party, saying, "I can not vote for those who tormented me."

Chigumba, the leader of the electoral commission, said the police had been informed of two presidential candidates who could have broken the law by campaigning after the deadline. She did not name them, but they are likely to be Chamisa and Mnangagwa, who both published public statements on Sunday.

Even though it was a holiday, some government offices were open for those who had lost their identity cards.

Inside the polls, voters received three ballots: one for their presidential choice, another for the MP and a third for the local councilor. The tellers helped voters put each ballot in the correct box.

"We need change because we have suffered a lot here," said Mable Mafaro, 65, voting in Harare. "We have suffered a lot, that's all."