Zimbabwe's President Mnangagwa reelected

HARARE — Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been reelected for a second five-year term, after garnering 52.6 percent of the total votes cast in last week's elections, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced on Saturday.

Mnangagwa beat 10 other presidential contestants after polling just over 2.3 million of the 4.4 million votes cast, ZEC chairwoman Priscilla Chigumba said in a late-night announcement in the capital, Harare.

Mnangagwa's main challenger and opposition Citizens for Coalition Change leader, Nelson Chamisa, received 1.9 million, or 44 percent of the votes cast, Chigumba said.

According to Zimbabwean law, a presidential winner must get 50 percent plus one vote of the total valid votes cast.

"Mnangagwa Emmerson Dambudzo of ZANU-PF party is declared duly elected president of the Republic of Zimbabwe with effect from Aug 26, 2023," Chigumba said.

Mnangagwa's ruling ZANU-PF party was also declared the winner in the parliamentary election, securing 136 of the 210 seats, the commission said.

Zimbabweans voted on Wednesday and Thursday, with a voter turnout of 68.9 percent, to choose a new president, members of parliament and representatives of local governments.

Voting in the midweek elections was meant to be wrapped up within one day on Wednesday, but it was extended into Thursday in some wards after delays in distributing ballot papers in Harare and other urban areas.

Xinhua - Agencies