Chamisa maintains he won the presidential election

Movement for Democratic Change Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa today once again claimed victory in the presidential election though the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said results will only start being announced at 10pm.

Chamisa said President Emmerson Mnangagwa knew he had lost otherwise the results would have been announced by now.

International observers urged the electoral commission to release results as soon as possible to avoid further violence after three people were killed yesterday in clashes between security forces and opposition supporters.

Police this evening said the figure of the dead had since risen to six.

One of those killed is an aunt of Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira.

“She was innocently coming from work and was caught in the crossfire. Imagine finding out through social media, and identifying her body through the dress she was wearing lying down,” Mupfumira was quoted by the Times as saying.

Police sealed off the headquarters of Chamisa’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and troops cleared the streets of the capital, despite calls from foreign governments and international organisations for calm and for political leaders to show restraint.

In his first public appearance since the vote on Monday, Chamisa urged his supporters to be calm and await “massive celebrations” for his victory. He could not give any figures because he would be breaking the law, he said.

“This government does not respect life,” he told reporters.

“Mr Mnangagwa knows it that he has lost this election. If he had won this election the result will have been announced long back but they are trying to massage the figures to try to advance fictitous and fallacious results. We know the results.”

Chamisa has accused the ruling ZANU-PF party of rigging the poll but offered no evidence.

The opposition leader also seems to be focusing only on the presidential vote and has not commented on his dismal loss in the national assembly elections where ZANU-PF walked away with 145 seats, the MDC Alliance 63, the National Patriotic Front one and one Independent, yet even if he wins he would not be able to run the country without the backing of ZANU-PF legislators.-Reuters/Own

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