Zimbabwe says the election is clean; the opposition is skeptical

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said on Tuesday that there had been no rigging during the first election without Robert Mugabe on the ballot, but the opposition alleged irregularities while an anxious nation awaited the first official results. at their headquarters in the capital, Harare, celebrating in the belief that they had won the presidential election on the basis of the results they reported having collected from field agents. Policemen with water cannons circulate in the area.

Zimbabweans hope the elections will help lift their country out of economic and political stagnation. Millions of people voted peacefully Monday in a process closely monitored by international observers, who have not yet officially announced whether the election was free and fair.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said the first results were expected Tuesday afternoon. , with the last count scheduled within five days. The participation rate has varied from 60 to 78%, some regions still reporting

READ MORE: The counting of votes begins during the elections in Zimbabwe

"The atmosphere remained peaceful" and the commission received no major complaints about how the election was conducted, Chief Priscilla Chigumba told reporters.

She said that she was confident that there was no "cheating". We will respect the will of Zimbabweans: "We will not steal their choice of leaders, we will not reverse their will."

Few hours after Chigumba's intervention, the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, declared that the voting results were not displayed. Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, a 40-year-old lawyer and pastor, said he would lead peaceful demonstrations if the law's conditions demand it.

The other main candidate is President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, a former vice president and confidante of Mugabe, who has reinvented himself as a candidate for change.

Bot Candidates have issued optimistic ratings of their behavior, while stating that they were waiting for the electoral commission to make the final announcement as required by law.

"I am delighted with the strong participation and engagement of citizens up to here," said Mnangagwa. Twitter "

" We did extremely well, "tweeted Chamisa

If no presidential candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, a second round will take place on September 8.

More than 5 , 5 million people were registered to vote in an election presided over by a record number of more than 20 presidential candidates and nearly 130 political parties vying for

The presence of observers Western voting in Zimbabwe reflects a freer political environment since Mugabe's resignation in November that had ruled since the independence of the white minority rule in 1980. Mugabe, hunted under military pressure, had declared that he had been in power. he would not vote for the party in power that he has long controlled and called Chamisa on

Supporters of election mediatization, lack of transparency in the printing of ballots and information reporting acts of intimidation by pro-government local leaders deemed to remain neutral remain of concern.

Elmar Brok, The Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission said that his team had noted some "inconsistencies" but that there was overall progress compared to previous elections. Under Mugabe, elections were often marked by violence, harassment and irregularities. "In African elections, the stakes are often very high and no one has a backup plan to lose," said John Dramani Mahama, former president of Ghana. Observation mission of the Commonwealth nations group, most of the former British colonies.

Zimbabwe's election candidates must accept the results and "should look at a broader picture of success, a successful election for Zimbabwe". An Elector in Harare said that Zimbabwe was eager to hear the election results as soon as possible. "Because people are not settled yet, they think about too much," said Chaka Nyuka, 65. "They need a good change, people are looking for it."

– AP