Zimbabwe’s hopeful election gives way to deadly violence
(Worthy News) – Zimbabwe’s hopes to move past the long, damaging reign of ousted President Robert Mugabe hung in the balance Wednesday amid expanding violent protests and charges of ballot fraud over the results of the first post-Mugabe presidential election Monday.
Zimbabwe’s state broadcaster said three people were killed after military units employing live ammunition, tear gas and water cannons swept into the capital of Harare to disperse opposition supporters protesting preliminary results appearing to give a big victory to President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mr. Mnangagwa is a former top aide to Mr. Mugabe who broke with him politically two years ago and promised major economic and political reforms.
According to unofficial results released Wednesday by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) picked up at least 109 seats in the 210-seat Parliament. The opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), whose followers earlier this week were celebrating an apparent upset victory based on their own projections, managed to win 41 seats. As of Wednesday, the winners of the remaining 58 seats had yet to be declared. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]