Zimbabweans began lining up before dawn today for crucial elections where President Robert Mugabe faces the toughest challenge to his 28-year rule and the opposition is urging its supporters to defend their votes against an alleged ballot-rigging plot.
Tensions rose yesterday when the military put on a show of force, with soldiers and police in a convoy of armored personnel carriers and water cannon patrolling through downtown Harare, the capital, and the security chiefs warning against violence.
“It’s a big day we’ve been waiting for. The people have been suffering,” said Marjorie Saba, a domestic worker.
With some queues of up to 500, people said they had got in line as early as midnight.
There are 9,000 polling stations for a disputed list of 5.9 million voters, but too few in urban opposition strongholds where independent monitors say people would need to be processed at a rate of 22 seconds.
Zimbabweans are voting in a single day for the first time for president, 210 legislators, 60 senators and 1,600 local councillors. Polls are scheduled to close at 7pm (5pm Irish time) and preliminary results are expected by Monday.
Mr Mugabe told a final rally yesterday that today’s vote would show Zimbabweans’ opposition to former coloniser Britain, whom he accuses of supporting the opposition.
“Zimbabweans are making a statement against the meddling British establishment,” he told about 6,000 supporters in Epworth, an impoverished town outside Harare.
Mr Mugabe called for discipline at the polls despite “provocation from outsiders who are already claiming the elections are not free and fair”.
Running against Mr Mugabe are opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, 55, who narrowly lost disputed 2002 elections, and former ruling party loyalist and finance minister Simba Makoni, 58.
Mr Tsvangirai yesterday urged supporters to stay at polling stations until counting began, to help prevent rigging.
“They would not rig in front of you,” he told a rally. “We have won this election already. What’s left is for us to defend our vote.”
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Zimbabweans began lining up before dawn today for crucial elections where President Robert Mugabe faces the toughest challenge to his 28-year rule and the opposition is urging its supporters to defend their votes against an alleged ballot-rigging plot.
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