MON, JULY 30 2018-theG&BJournal-Millions of Zimbabweans are queuing today to elect a new president, the first election since the former president Robert Mugabe, 94, was ousted in a place coup. Polls opened 7 am this morning with long lines formed by voters who are hoping to see an elected government that will transform the country’s economic fortunes following over 20 years of economic slide.
The choice is between two ideologically opposite candidates-the 75 year-old president Emmerson Mnangagwa, the head of the ruling ZUNU-PF and a long time political associate of Robert Mugabe and 40 year-old charismatic lawyer, Nelson Chamisa, who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Support for Chamisa is huge in the urban areas and among the many young and educated Zimbabweans while the ZANU-PF support is largely and historically resided in the rural areas. The campaigns has been peaceful and many believe that a run-off election is unlikely despite widespread belief that the ruling party might hijack the polls if they come off worse from this election.
A run-off will hold in five weeks if a candidate fails to win more than half the vote.
