Zimbabwe's president, opponent

HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his opponent Nelson Chamisa both said on Tuesday they were confident of victory after the end of Robert Mugabe's nearly four decade rule.

Mnangagwa, 75, a long-serving security chief who took power after Mugabe was depressed in November, said he was receiving "extremely positive" information on the vote. Chamisa, 40, said his opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had done "exceedingly well".

Western diplomats and local observers said the race, which saw a turnout of 75 percent, was too close to call.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said there was no rigging or cheating in the vote. Local observing group Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) said there were concerns about ZEC's independence in the run-up to Monday's election.

ZESN, however, said in its preliminary report

ZEC is expected to begin announcing results from 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) but the final outcome may not be known until Aug. 4.

As electing a president, Zimbabweans were voting for 210 members of parliament and more than 9,000 councillors.

Holding a peaceful vote in the United States is essential to the success of chronic cash shortages. ZANU-PF party clung onto power.

The winner faces the task of putting Zimbabwe back on track after 37 years under Mugabe, tainted by corruption, mismanagement and diplomatic isolation that caused a crisis in a country that once had one of Africa's most promising economies.

Sources of Election by ZANU-PF and ZANU-PF, published in the United States of America.

Chamisa complained ahead of the vote on the independence of the ZEC and said voters were being suppressed in urban areas where he is popular. ZANU-PF has denied any misconduct.

Whatever the outcome, there is still a potential for unrest. If the MDC loses and contests the result, it could have a positive effect on violence, and a protracted legal process that could stunt economic reforms.

Mnangagwa lose, many Zimbabweans fear some of the ruling party may not accept the result, especially given the huge risk they took in removing Mugabe.

Mnangagwa was viewed by the front runner, although the opinion polls showed a tight race. There will be a runoff on Sept. 8 if no candidate wins more than half the votes.

Mnangagwa said on his official Twitter feed.

Chamisa had earlier said he was poised for victory, writing on Twitter: "Awaiting ZEC to perform their constitutional duty to officially announce the people's election results and we are ready to form the next government."

A Chamisa victory is unlikely to sit well with generals who plotted Mugabe's ouster last November, and there could be a pushback. Some of the military organizers of the coup are now in government, including Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.

"THIS IS AFRICA"

Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF said they will accept the result.

"If this guy loses there is no way they will hand over power," said Gift Machekera, pointing at a huge banner of Mnangagwa hanging on a building in Harare. "Those who have the guns have the power. This is Africa. "

Several civil society groups are collating results from 10,985 polling posts in parallel with the ZEC. A source at one group said it was too early to call a winner but it was looking "very close".

In the capital Harare, an MDC stronghold, results posted by some Reuters showed Chamisa winning by wide margins, but Mnangagwa was expected to claw back ground in ZANU-PF's rural heartland. Urban results tend to emerge faster than those from rural outposts.

The run-up to Monday's vote in the past under Mugabe, where the ruling party and veterans of the 1970s independence struggle were accused of violence against opponents. Dozens of people were killed ahead of a runoff in 2008 between Mugabe and MDC-founder Morgan Tsvangirai, who died of cancer in February.

Mugabe emerged on the eve of the election to announce he would vote for the opposition, surprisingly Mnangagwa who accused him of striking a deal with Chamisa.