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Harare – Zimbabweans moved calmly and calmly in the first general election since the fall of President Robert Mugabe in November after 37 years of power, historic polls held in a climate of suspicion of fraud .
A total of 23 candidates – a record – were in contention for the presidential election, organized at the same time as the legislative and municipal elections.
The race for the supreme office is played by the current head of state Emmerson Mnangagwa, boss of Zanu-PF, the party in power since the independence of Zimbabwe in 1980, and the opponent Nelson Chamisa, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
million. Mnangagwa, who in November succeeded his former mentor, Mugabe, following a coup by the army and his party, seeks to obtain the legitimacy of power through the ballot box.
The polls closed, as scheduled, Monday at 7:00 pm (5:00 pm GMT) and the counting began, sometimes in the light of candles or gas lamps. Results are expected by August 4th.
For these historic elections, " there was a high turnout, especially of young people ," Elmar Brok, Chief Observer for the European Union (EU) told AFP , who did not report, at the end of the day, cases of violence, while the polls of the Mugabe era had been regularly tainted with fraud and violence.
From dawn on Monday, long queues were formed in front of many polling stations in Harare, where the affluence did not weaken during the day.
" I hope a new Zimbabwe ", which " offers equal opportunities for all ," said Lalita Mtetwa, a 30-year-old unemployed graduate. " There are millions of unemployed educated people living in poverty, only the rich are in a better position ," she fumed.
" I voted for Mnangagwa ," said Robina Mayobongwe, 80, aboard a cart pulled by a donkey. " We can not trust young people ," she said.
– "Censorship Attempts" –
M. Mnangagwa, 75, is a regular in the arcane power. Former Minister of Mugabe, he was also his vice president until his dismissal in November, which precipitated the intervention of the army and the humiliating departure of the comrade " Bob ".
During the election campaign, however, President Mnangagwa claimed to have drawn a line from his past as the Mugabe regime's cacique, and promised to restore democracy and put a beleaguered economy back on track.
On Monday, he was pleased that " the campaign was peaceful, as was the vote ". A key element for it to stand out from its predecessor and gain the trust of the international community and investors, which the country badly needs.
Proof of his desire for change, he had invited, for the first time in sixteen years, Western observers to watch the vote.
The EU noted on Monday " defects " during electoral operations, notably " total disorganization " of voting in two poor neighborhoods of Harare, while " everything went well in more favored neighborhoods ".
" It is now time to check whether this is a trend " or isolated cases, Mr. Brok added.
million. Chamisa denounced to him " deliberate attempts to censor " the votes in urban area, traditional fief of the MDC.
But he said he was confident about the outcome of the vote. " I have no doubt that by the end of the day, we should have a categorical voice for change ," launched the forty-year-old.
– Mugabe voted –
Mr. Mnangagwa is given the presidential favorite, but the gap between the two men has recently narrowed in polls. The first is credited with 40% of the vote, against 37% for the second, according to a poll published ten days ago by the Afrobarometer group.
If no candidate obtains an absolute majority on Monday, a second round will be held on September 8th.
Former President Mugabe voted in the flashes of photographers at a school in Harare, crowded with admirers, curious and detractors.
He declined to comment. But the day before, he had, at a surprise press conference, called on voters to bring down his former party, Zanu-PF.
" I hope that tomorrow's vote (Monday) will bring down the current military form of government ", he said. " I can not vote for those who treated me badly ", he continued, before implying that he would give his voice to Mr. Chamisa, whose training he has always fought .
Throughout the campaign, President Mnangagwa promised the heyday of a " New Democracy " and billions of dollars of investment to rebuild an economy ruined by catastrophic reforms. of his predecessor.
The country is sorely lacking in liquidity, forcing the population to queue for hours in front of the banks to get a few tens of dollars in cash, while an overwhelming majority of the population is unemployed.
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