Chamisa rejects ‘fake’results

MDC Alliance’s presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa has rejected election results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) last night with his party chair Morgen Komichi claiming they were “unverified” by the opposition party’s chief election agent and therefore “fake”.

BY RICHARD CHIDZA

Komichi took the Zec commissioners by surprise when he jumped to the top table shortly before announcement of the last batch of the returns, and told journalists that his party would not challenge the results.

“The results that have been announced so far, we reject them because they have not been verified by our chief election agent (Jameson Timba). I represent my candidate Nelson Chamisa. The results are fake, they have just been printed and not verified,” said Komichi adding that a meeting with Zec had been inconclusive.

Before Komichi could finish he and Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda were ushered out by State security agents.

Despite the drama, Zec chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba went ahead and declared Zanu PF presidential candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa as winner with 50.8% of the votes, just enough to scrap through the constitutional threshold of 50% plus one vote required to avoid a run off.

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Chamisa, according to Zec got 2147 436 votes representing 44,3% of the votes cast.

Mnangagwa’s disputed victory gave the ruling party firm control of government business after securing a two-thirds majority in Parliament with 163 seats against MDC Alliance’s 64 seats.

The election was the first to be held in the former British colony since Robert Mugabe, the 94-year-old autocrat who ruled for 37 years, was ousted by the army nine months ago.

Yesterday’s results and management of the whole electoral process would be used to determine Mnangagwa government’s legitimacy and whether the country qualifies for reengagement with the international community.

Zimbabwe hopes to reintegrate into the international community after years of isolation during former leader Robert Mugabe’s reign. Foreign powers will now have to decide whether the poll outcome gives Mnangagwa and Zanu PF the legitimacy needed to rejoin institutions such as the Commonwealth.

Without a massive and rapid infusion of foreign aid, the country faces total economic breakdown.

The vote count took more than three days, leading to growing tensions and calls from the international community for a swift resolution as Chamisa’s supporters turned riotous accusing Zec of fraud. Six people were shot dead on Wednesday when the army opened fire on opposition protesters who had taken to the streets accusing Zec of tinkering with the results.

Chamisa told reporters before the results were announced that he was confident of victory and that his party, adding however that he suspected Zec was plotting to “steal” his victory.

Prior to the polls, Chamisa had raised a red flag over a number of irregularities including a flawed electoral roll, ballot paper malpractice, voter intimidation, bias in the electoral commission and handouts to voters from the ruling party.

But his complaints which were upheld in several foreign observer groups’ reports, went unheeded by Zec.

The power scrap went right to the wire with Mnangagwa’s 40 year-old challenger winning in four provinces albeit with slight margins in two but had crushing wins in the country’s two biggest cities, Harare and Bulawayo.

However Chamisa was undone by low margins in Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and surprisingly his home province of Masvingo.

Mnangagwa whose Zanu PF party swept the board in Mashonaland Central taking all parliamentary seats on offer crushed his opponent with 366785 votes against the opposition leader’s measly 97097. In Masvingo a province where Chamisa was expected to do well, the 40 year-old only managed 171 196 with his opponent picking 319 073 votes.

Harare carried Chamisa on its shoulders with his biggest vote haul garnering 548 889 leaving Mnangagwa smarting in his wake with less than half his tally at 204 710.

Chamisa also won in Bulawayo where he got 144 107 against Mnangagwa’s 60 168, Matabeleland North where he got 137 611 while his rival received 111 452. It was a rather close fight in the Midlands, Mnangagwa’s home province but the Zanu PF leader took the honour getting 350 754 against Chamisa’s 255 059.

Mnangagwa also won in Matabeleland South getting 107 008 with Chamisa very close on 90 292. Zec left Zimbabweans biting their nails after withholding results for Mashonaland West at a point indications were the two frontrunners were neck and neck.

When the final results were announced Mnangagwa trounced his rival by garnering 312 958 with Chamisa getting 217 732 bring the fight to a dramatic end.

Priscilla Chigumba went ahead and declared Zanu PF presidential candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa as winner with 50,8% of the votes, just enough to scrap through the constitutional threshold of 50% plus one vote required to avoid a run-off.

Chamisa, according to Zec got 2 147 436 votes representing 44,3% of the votes cast.

But the MDC Alliance presidential candidate dismissed the results as “scandalous” and promised to expose Chigumba and Zanu PF by giving the correct tallies captured and signed for by Zec polling officers and their agents at constituency level today.

Mnangagwa’s disputed victory gave Zanu PF firm control of government business after securing a two-thirds majority in Parliament with 163 seats against MDC Alliance’s 64 seats.

The election was the first to be held in the former British colony since Robert Mugabe, the 94-year-old autocrat who ruled for 37 years, was ousted by the army nine months ago. Yesterday’s results and management of the whole electoral process would be used to determine Mnangagwa government’s legitimacy and whether the country qualifies for re-engagement with the international community.

Zimbabwe hopes to reintegrate into the international community after years of isolation during former leader Robert Mugabe’s reign. Foreign powers will now have to decide whether the poll outcome gave Mnangagwa and Zanu PF the legitimacy needed to re-join institutions such as the Commonwealth.

Without a massive and rapid infusion of foreign aid, the country faces a total economic breakdown.

The vote count took more than three days, leading to growing tensions and calls from the international community for a swift resolution as Chamisa’s supporters turned riotous accusing Zec of fraud. Six people were shot dead on Wednesday when the army opened fire on opposition protesters who had taken to the streets accusing Zec of tinkering with the results.

Chamisa told reporters before the results were announced that he was confident of victory, adding however that he suspected Zec was plotting to “steal” his victory.

Prior to the polls, Chamisa had raised a red flag over a number of irregularities including a flawed electoral roll, ballot paper malpractice, voter intimidation, bias in the electoral commission and handouts to voters from the ruling party.

But his complaints which were upheld in several foreign observer groups’ reports, went unheeded by Zec.

The power scrap went right to the wire with Mnangagwa’s 40-year-old challenger winning in four provinces albeit with slight margins in two but had crushing wins in the country’s two biggest cities, Harare and Bulawayo.

Chamisa was undone by low margins in Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and surprisingly his home province of Masvingo.

Mnangagwa whose Zanu PF party swept the board in Mashonaland Central taking all parliamentary seats on offer crushed his opponent with 366 785 votes against the opposition leader’s measly 97 097. In Masvingo, a province where Chamisa was expected to do well, the 40-year-old only managed 171 196 with his opponent picking 319 073 votes.

Harare carried Chamisa on its shoulders with his biggest vote haul garnering 548 889 leaving Mnangagwa smarting in his wake with less than half his tally at 204 710.

Chamisa also won in Bulawayo where he got 144 107 against Mnangagwa’s 60 168, Matabeleland North where he got 137 611 while his rival received 111 452. It was a rather close fight in the Midlands, Mnangagwa’s home province but the Zanu PF leader took the honour getting 350 754 against Chamisa’s 255 059.

Mnangagwa also won in Matabeleland South getting 107 008 with Chamisa very close on 90 292. Zec left Zimbabweans biting their nails after withholding results for Mashonaland West at a point indications were that the two frontrunners were neck and neck.

When the disputed final results were announced Mnangagwa trounced his rival by garnering 312 958 with Chamisa getting 217 732 bring the fight to a dramatic end. Mnangagwa immediately capped the drama by taking to social media to salute his supporters.

“Thank you Zimbabwe! I am humbled to be elected President of the Second Republic of Zimbabwe. Though we may have been divided at the polls, we are united in our dreams.This is a new beginning. Let us join hands, in peace, unity and love, and together build a new Zimbabwe for all!,” he said in a message on his Facebook wall.