Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa was re-elected for the second and final term on Saturday (August 26) after the results were announced following a troubled vote.
An opposition party spokesperson said within minutes of the results being announced that they would reject them as "hastily assembled without proper verification."
Mnangagwa secured 52.6 per cent of the vote, the Zimbabwe Election Commission said in an announcement late at night in the southern African country’s capital, Harare.
According to the commission, the main Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa bagged 44 per cent of votes.
There will likely be a scrutiny of the results after the election observers from the European Union and African Union raised questions over the environment in the buildup to the vote and pointed to an atmosphere of intimidation against Chamisa's supporters.
The polling was due to be held on just one day, last Wednesday, however, it was extended to Thursday following delays and problems with the printing of ballot papers.
Results of the presidential election had been set down for Monday but came just two days after the ballots closed, much sooner than expected.
Promise Mkwananzi, a spokesperson for Chamisa's Citizens Coalition for Change Party said that they reject any results “hastily assembled without proper verification”.
“We will advise citizens on the next steps as the situation develops,” Promise said.
The result has kept the ruling ZANU-PF party in the presidency.
ZANU-PF has been in government for 43 years since Zimbabwe won independence from white minority rule in 1980.
Mnangagwa had replaced long-ruling autocrat Robert Mugabe in a coup in 2017 and emerged victorious in a disputed election by a thin margin against Chamisa in 2018.
Security was beefed up ahead of Saturday’s announcement of results.
This election was marked by more trouble in a country with a history of violent and disputed votes.
Many people in the country of 15 million are sure to view the result with suspicion.
(With AP inputs)
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