ZIMBABWE
After Mugabe, the Deluge?
Zimbabwe’s first election since the ouster of longtime President Robert Mugabe erupted into violence Wednesday after supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) accused the ruling ZANU-PF party of electoral fraud.
“You said you were better than Mugabe – you are the picture of Mugabe,” shouted one protester, referring to incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who replaced Mugabe after he was forced out in November, according to Agence France-Presse.
Police confirmed that at least three people died during the protests, while AFP reported witnessing soldiers firing on demonstrators in downtown Harare.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said Wednesday that ZANU-PF had won 144 out of 210 parliamentary seats and the MDC Alliance had won 61, though five seats had yet to be counted.
Blaming the opposition for the violence, the government promised a swift crackdown. But the conflict dented hopes that the election might end Zimbabwe’s isolation and help draw foreign investment, as European Union observers also expressed doubts about the fairness of the polls.
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