Zimbabwe election: Zanu-PF has most seats, incomplete results show

Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party has won the most seats in parliament, according to incomplete official results.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s party is poised to win a substantial parliamentary majority in Monday’s poll – the first elections since long-serving ruler Robert Mugabe was ousted.

The result of the presidential vote is not yet known.

Meanwhile, clashes have broken out between supporters of the opposition MDC Alliance and police in Harare.

Water cannon and tear gas were deployed as crowds began burning tyres in the centre of the capital city.

The MDC Alliance says the vote has been rigged, and that its candidate Nelson Chamisa won the election.

President Mnangagwa has urged patience and calm, but European Union election monitors have questioned why it is taking so long to declare the presidential result.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has announced 110 seats for Zanu-PF so far, and 41 for MDC Alliance, ZBC state media reported. There are 210 seats in the National Assembly’s lower house.

More than five million people were registered to vote – with a high turnout of 70%.

State broadcaster ZBC had reported that the electoral commission would announce the presidential results at 12:30 local time (10:30 GMT), but only parliamentary results were read out.

The BBC’s Shingai Nyoka reports that the announcement on the presidential poll was not made because representatives of some of the 23 candidates had failed to turn up to verify the results.

A presidential candidate needs more than 50% of the vote to win outright. Otherwise, a run-off election will be held on 8 September.

The EU mission has criticised the delay in announcing the presidential results. Zec has until Saturday to do so

It said it had observed several problems, including media bias, voter intimidation and mistrust in the electoral commission, adding that there was an “improved political climate, but un-level playing field and lack of trust”.

This is the first time in 16 years that the government has allowed EU and US election monitors into the country.

The African Union mission has said the elections “took place in a very peaceful environment” and “were highly competitive”.

It added that it could not confirm opposition parties’ complaints of vote-buying, intimidation by the state and bias by traditional leaders.

A preliminary report by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) observers said the elections were largely peaceful and conducted in accordance with the law.