Zimbabwe Elections ‘Within Five Months’

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said peaceful elections are critical to reposition Zimbabwe as a democratic country Image credit: AFP

Zimbabwe will hold elections in four to five months, President Emmerson Mnangagwa is reported in the state-owned Herald as saying.

BBC News report continues:

It will be the first vote since independence in 1980 that Robert Mugabe does not participate in, after he was forced to resign as president last November after a military takeover.

President Mnangagwa – who had served as Mr Mugabe’s deputy – replaced the longtime leader as head of the governing Zanu-PF.

Speaking during an official trip to Mozambique, President Mnangagwa is quoted as saying:

We will ensure that Zimbabwe delivers free, credible, fair and indisputable elections to ensure Zimbabwe engages the world as a qualified democratic state.”

Mr Mnangagwa also said "we need to have peace, peace, peace". Since independence, Zimbabwean elections have been marred by vote rigging, intimidation and violent suppression of the opposition.

According to the constitution, Zimbabwe "should hold elections between 22 July and 22 August but parliament can elect to dissolve itself, triggering an early vote", Reuters news agency reports.

The governing Zanu-PF party currently has a two-thirds majority in parliament.

Analysts say the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, has been weakened and divided by the ill health of its leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who is receiving treatment for colon cancer.