HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared winner of the Aug. 23 presidential election on Saturday night after a much-criticized electoral process by international observers.
The main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change led by Nelson Chamisa, who trailed Mnangagwa in the presidential vote, has raised concerns over alleged manipulation of the outcome. Insiders from the CCC said the Zimbabwean opposition party, which said its own tally of the voting results showed Chamisa leading, will contest the outcome of the presidential election result.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has declared Mnangagwa, 80, as president-elect, giving him a mandate to form the next government amid a tense environment in the capital, Harare. ZEC said the incumbent who deposed former leader, the late Robert Mugabe in 2017, polled 52% of the vote ahead of Chamisa’s 44%. In terms of numbers, Mnangagwa amassed 2.3 million against Chamisa’s 1.9 million votes, ZEC announced.
“We reject any result hastily assembled without proper verification not lectureship. We will advise citizens on the next steps,” said Prosper Mkwananzi, spokesperson for the CCC Saturday night.
