Partial results from Zimbabwe’s parliamentary election suggested the ruling party’s lead was growing on Friday, but election observers said the vote did not meet international standards and was conducted in a “climate of fear”.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF party was widely expected to maintain its 43-year grip on power after Zimbabweans voted in a parliamentary and presidential poll on Wednesday.
A tally by state broadcaster ZBC showed ZANU-PF winning 101 parliamentary constituencies and the main opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) winning 59, out of a total of 210.
The result of the presidential vote has not been announced yet. It is expected within five days of voting.
Mnangagwa, 80, is seeking re-election at a time when the southern African country is grappling with soaring inflation and high unemployment, with many Zimbabweans reliant on dollar remittances from relatives abroad to make ends meet. His main challenger is 45-year-old lawyer and pastor Nelson Chamisa.
Source MbareTimes
