HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa called for calm on Wednesday as MDC Alliance supporters clashed with police in central Harare ahead of the announcement of this week’s presidential election results.
“We must all demonstrate patience and maturity, and act in a way that puts our people and their safety first,” Mnangagwa wrote on Twitter.
Tear gas was fired at the protesters, who are angry against election results giving Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF party a big parliamentary majority.
The protests are happening halfway between the Rainbow Towers Hotel where the results are being announced, and the MDC Alliance party’s headquarters.
Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has tweeted that he had won the “popular vote” in the presidential election.
ZEC’s final results for the parliamentary seats announced on Wednesday afternoon showed Zanu PF with 155 seats to the MDC Alliance’s 53. Two others went to an Independent and the opposition NPF.
With the majority, Zanu PF can change the country’s constitution.
Zanu-PF took most rural constituencies, according to official results, while the opposition MDC-T achieved victories in urban areas.
This election has been the first ballot since Robert Mugabe was ousted after 37 years in power.
Mugabe voted in Harare alongside his wife, Grace, following a surprise news conference in which he called on supporters to reject Zanu PF, his former party.
Observers from the Southern African Development Community and the African Union gave the elections a thumbs up, although noting the failure by the public broadcaster ZBC to cover all the parties equally.
The European Union observers, however, fell short of dismissing the election as flawed after saying in a preliminary statement that the political playing field was “un-level”.
Mnangagwa faces an unemployment crisis following the collapse of agriculture, hyperinflation and an exodus of investment.
The results of the presidential race – between Mnangagwa and Chamisa – will be announced after verification, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission boss Priscilla Chigumba said at the conclusion of the parliamentary results announcement.
