Opposition in Zimbabwe claims there was “gigantic fraud” in the poll that extended the ZANU-PF party’s 43-year rule

After President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the victor of another tumultuous election on Sunday, with international observers reporting a climate of voter intimidation, Zimbabwe’s major opposition leader claimed there had been “blatant and gigantic fraud.”

Two days sooner than anticipated, the results were made public on Saturday night. Nelson Chamisa, the head of the opposition, planned to address the nation shortly after declaring that his Citizens Coalition for Change party will reject the results as having been “hurriedly assembled without proper verification.”

In response to the results, Chamisa posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying, “They stole your voice and vote but never your hope.” It’s an enormous and obvious hoax.

In a nation of 15 million people, the results will undoubtedly be viewed with scepticism.

The poll, which was place on Wednesday and Thursday, had issues, according to international election observers, who blamed a climate of harassment towards Chamisa’s supporters.

International rights organisations said there had been a crackdown on those who opposed Mnangagwa and the long-reigning ZANU-PF party, which they claimed had used the police and courts to threaten and intimidate opposition officials and supporters.

In an interview with The Associated Press prior to the election, Chamisa said that police had broken up his party’s rallies and that his followers had frequently been intimidated and threatened with violence.

Due to a paucity of vote papers, particularly in the capital city of Harare and other metropolitan areas that are strongholds of the opposition, the election itself was also troublesome, and voting was extended into an additional day on Thursday. To ensure they could vote, people slept at the polls.

With Mnangagwa’s victory, ZANU-PF was able to keep the governing position it has held for all 43 years of Zimbabwe’s existence since the country was renamed after gaining independence from white minority rule in 1980.

According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Mnangagwa, 80, won reelection for a second and final five-year term with 52.6% of the vote. The commission reported that Chamisa, 45, who fell short of Mnangagwa in a closely contested election five years prior, received 44% of the vote this time. Additionally, ZANU-PF maintained its parliamentary majority.

Ziyambi Ziyambi, a Cabinet member and Mnangagwa’s election agent, declared that “this is a very happy occasion indeed.” “Zimbabweans have demonstrated confidence in our president and ZANU-PF.”

In the more than four decades of ZANU-PF leadership, Zimbabwe has a history of contentious and occasionally violent elections, most notably under the dictatorial former president Robert Mugabe, who was in power for 37 years and presided over an economic collapse that made Zimbabwe famous around the world.

The United States and the European Union imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe because of alleged violations of human rights under Mugabe’s rule. Most of those punishments are still in effect.

Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s former vice president, took over after he was overthrown in a military-backed revolution in 2017. Although Mnangagwa promised a time of freedom and prosperity, detractors claim the former guerrilla fighter known as “the crocodile” has become just as authoritarian as his predecessor. The coup was enthusiastically supported and welcomed as a fresh beginning.

In its more than four decades of independence, Zimbabwe has only had these two leaders.

Many people were surprised when the 2023 election results were announced at 11.30 p.m. on Saturday at the official results centre in Harare. In the postponed elections, they were announced within 48 hours after votes closed, even though election officials had intended to do so five days after voting completed.

Minutes after the results were made public, Promise Mkwananzi, a representative for Chamisa’s CCC party, stated, “We reject any results hastily assembled without proper verification.” “As the situation changes, we will advise citizens on the best course of action.”

Chamisa’s party didn’t immediately say if it will contest the results in court, however the results are expected to be extensively scrutinised. The Constitutional Court rejected Chamisa’s appeal after he challenged his loss to Mnangagwa in the 2018 election.

The election monitors stated that they were particularly concerned about Forever Associates of Zimbabwe, a group that is affiliated with the ruling party, setting up tables at polling places and recording voter registration information.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who is in charge of the African Union observer mission, said the FAZ’s activities ought to be labelled as crimes.

Additionally, more than 40 local election observers were detained on subversion-related accusations, which government critics claimed were unfounded.

Dozens of armed police guarded the national results centre with water cannons before the results were announced on Saturday. It was the scene of terrible violence after the election five years ago, when soldiers killed six people during protests.

Early on Sunday, there were no indications of trouble. As residents processed the results and another ZANU-PF triumph, which would extend the party’s dominance to almost 50 years, streets in Harare that would often be crowded with late-night sellers became vacant shortly after the announcement on Saturday night.

“It’s completed. Security guard at a grocery shop Gerald Chosawa stated, “It never changes. “I had some hope,”

“At this point, it would be wiser to be ready to travel abroad like the others. The ideal choice is that.