Zimbabweans go to polls today

STAFF REPORTER

At least 6.6 million registered voters will cast ballots today in Zimbabwe, where the results will determine who will lead the country for the next five years.

To ensure a smooth election process, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) finalized the deployment of election officers and the distribution of voting materials across the nation on Tuesday.

The police, political agents and observers had also been deployed to various stations in anticipation of the voting, which begins  7 am and closing at 7pm. There are 12 374 polling stations across the country while more than 150 000 polling officers have been recruited to run the exercise.

Today’s election will usher in the next President, a new Parliament with 210 National Assembly members and 1 958 councilors.

Eleven candidates will wrestle it out for the Presidency.

While 518 candidates are vying for seats in the National Assembly, 64 of them are running as independents.

There are 4648 candidates vying for 92 local government seats, 266 of whom are independents and 92 of whom are ZANU-PF candidates who were chosen without opposition.

 

The number of senators, women’s proportional representation legislators, and youth and women’s quotas in local authorities will all depend on how many votes each political party receives in the election.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa will contest with Nelson Chamisa, the leader of the CCC, Joseph Busha of the Free Zim Congress, Trust Chikohora of the ZCPD, Blessing Kasiyamhuru of the United Zimbabwe Alliance, Elizabeth Valerio of the United Zimbabwe Alliance, and Professor Lovemore Madhuku of the NCA .

Wilbert Mubaiwa of the NPC, Gwinyai Henry Muzorewa of the UANC, and Harry Peter Wilson of the DOP are also competing.

MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora withdrew from the race a few weeks ago, but his name will still appear on the ballot.

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