Zimbabwe held its first election on Monday since former leader Robert Mugabe was ousted in a de facto coup but the opposition leader alleged voter suppression, raising fears of a disputed result. Nelson Chamisa is the main challenger to President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Chamisa on Monday said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) was impeding voting in urban areas where he enjoys strong support but gave no evidence to back the claim.
“The people’s will being negated & undetermined due to these deliberate and unnecessary delays,” he said in a tweet.
EU chief observer Elmar Brok said many voters, particularly young women, left voting queues in frustration at long delays. The EU has not yet concluded how to judge the vote, he said. Mugabe, 94, emerged on the eve of the election to announce he would vote for the opposition, surprising Mnangagwa who accused him of striking a deal with Chamisa.
Mnangagwa denied Mugabe’s claim that the vote would not be free since it was being run by a “military government”.
