Zimbabwe ruling party responds to election results challenge following violent protests

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF Party, headed by President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa, will respond to legal action challenging its July 30 electoral victory. The opposition Movement of Democratic Change’s (MDC) candidate Nelson Chamisa formally disputed the outcome in Constitutional Court on Sunday, delaying Mr Mnangagwa’s induction.

According to announced figures, Mr Mnangagwa tallied 50.8% of the vote, while Mr Chamisa held 44.3%, which fell in line with projections. The MDC has claimed that the result was fixed, promising evidence of statistical irregularities and fraud.

While the election itself was held peacefully, violence erupted in Harare on August 1, with government troops leaving six dead. Tensions will likely remain high throughout the Constitution Court’s review of the election, which will last at most 14 days.

The MDC’s electoral petition is the 39^th to be filed in the last 18 years—none of previous attempts were successful. Thus, expect Mr Mnangagwa’s victory to be upheld, giving the ZANU-PF Party the presidency and a two-thirds majority in the legislature. Zimbabwe’s present political instability is worrying for foreign investors, but all signs point to the elected pro-business government’s installation in coming weeks, bringing rising opportunities in mining and infrastructure.

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