{FOREIGN ZONE}~ Mnangagwa Wins Zimbabwe’s First Post-Mugabe Election

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former ally of Robert Mugabe, narrowly won the country’ s landmark election , results showed early Friday, in an outcome set to fuel fraud allegations as security forces patrolled the streets to prevent protests .
Mnangagwa won 50. 8 percent of the vote, ahead of Nelson Chamisa of the opposition MDC party on 44. 3 percent , the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission ( ZEC) said .
“ Mnangagwa , Emmerson Dambudzo, of ZANU -PF party is therefore duly declared elected president of the Republic of Zimbabwe , ” announced ZEC chair Priscilla Chigumba.
Mnangagwa won by the smallest of margins , after needing more than 50 percent of the vote to secure victory without a second - round run -off.
He quickly took to Twitter to say he was “ humbled” to have won the election , hailing it as a “ new beginning ” for the country.
Zimbabwe was braced for public reaction to the election results — the first since last year’ s ousting of Mugabe — after a deadly crackdown on protesters .
Six people were killed on Wednesday when troops fired live rounds against MDC demonstrators alleging the vote had been rigged .
Soldiers and police cleared central Harare ahead of the results, shouting at pedestrians and traders to leave the area , as the opposition Movement for Democratic Change ( MDC ) repeatedly alleged that ZANU-PF was stealing the election .
–Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former ally of Robert Mugabe, narrowly won the country’ s landmark election , results showed early Friday, in an outcome set to fuel fraud allegations as security forces patrolled the streets to prevent protests .
Mnangagwa won 50. 8 percent of the vote, ahead of Nelson Chamisa of the opposition MDC party on 44. 3 percent , the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission ( ZEC) said .
“ Mnangagwa , Emmerson Dambudzo, of ZANU -PF party is therefore duly declared elected president of the Republic of Zimbabwe , ” announced ZEC chair Priscilla Chigumba.
Mnangagwa won by the smallest of margins , after needing more than 50 percent of the vote to secure victory without a second - round run -off.
He quickly took to Twitter to say he was “ humbled” to have won the election , hailing it as a “ new beginning ” for the country.
Zimbabwe was braced for public reaction to the election results — the first since last year’ s ousting of Mugabe — after a deadly crackdown on protesters .
Six people were killed on Wednesday when troops fired live rounds against MDC demonstrators alleging the vote had been rigged .
Soldiers and police cleared central Harare ahead of the results, shouting at pedestrians and traders to leave the area , as the opposition Movement for Democratic Change ( MDC ) repeatedly alleged that ZANU-PF was stealing the election .

– Opposition Anger –

Moments before the official announcement , MDC spokesman Morgan Komichi denounced the vote count as “ fake ” as he took to the stage at the ZEC results centre before being removed by police.
After Mnangagwa was declared the winner, he told AFP that his party rejected the outcome . “ We will take this to the courts, ” he said .
Police and army were on the streets of Harare overnight , but there were no reported protests and few public celebrations when the results were announced after midnight .
Turnout was high at over 80 percent in most of the country’ s 10 provinces.
“ What they have been trying to do of late is to play around , ” Chamisa told reporters hours before the final results.
“ That is rigging, that is manipulation, trying to bastardise the result, and that we will not allow . ”
On Thursday, the army had guarded ZANU -PF headquarters , while armoured personnel carriers , water cannon trucks and police anti -riot vans took position outside MDC headquarters .
Monday ’ s vote was meant to turn the page on years of brutal repression under Mugabe, end Zimbabwe ’ s international isolation and attract foreign investment to revive the shattered economy.
Mnangagwa had promised a free and fair vote after the military ushered him to power when Mugabe was forced to resign in November.
In the parliamentary election , also held on Monday , ZANU -PF won easily.
Before the violence, European Union observers declared they found an “ un -level playing field and lack of trust” in the election process .
Election observers from the Commonwealth issued a statement after Wednesday ’ s clashes to “ denounce the excessive use of force against unarmed civilians” .
“ It means our suffering will continue, ” Emion Chitsate , a security guard at shopping centre in the Waterfalls district of Harare , said of the result .
“ It ’ s the same ZANU- PF which brought us to where we are . ” Opposition anger –
Moments before the official announcement , MDC spokesman Morgan Komichi denounced the vote count as “ fake ” as he took to the stage at the ZEC results centre before being removed by police.

After Mnangagwa was declared the winner, he told AFP that his party rejected the outcome . “ We will take this to the courts, ” he said .

Police and army were on the streets of Harare overnight , but there were no reported protests and few public celebrations when the results were announced after midnight .

Turnout was high at over 80 percent in most of the country’ s 10 provinces.
“ What they have been trying to do of late is to play around , ” Chamisa told reporters hours before the final results.
“ That is rigging, that is manipulation, trying to bastardise the result, and that we will not allow . ”

On Thursday, the army had guarded ZANU -PF headquarters , while armoured personnel carriers , water cannon trucks and police anti -riot vans took position outside MDC headquarters .

Monday ’ s vote was meant to turn the page on years of brutal repression under Mugabe, end Zimbabwe ’ s international isolation and attract foreign investment to revive the shattered economy.

Mnangagwa had promised a free and fair vote after the military ushered him to power when Mugabe was forced to resign in November.

In the parliamentary election , also held on Monday , ZANU -PF won easily.
Before the violence, European Union observers declared they found an “ un -level playing field and lack of trust” in the election process .

Election observers from the Commonwealth issued a statement after Wednesday ’ s clashes to “ denounce the excessive use of force against unarmed civilians” .

“ It means our suffering will continue, ” Emion Chitsate , a security guard at shopping centre in the Waterfalls district of Harare , said of the result .
“ It ’ s the same ZANU- PF which brought us to where we are . ”

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