HARARE – Zimbabwe’s president is praising “a beautiful expression of freedom & democracy” after polls have closed in a historic election.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa says on Twitter that millions have voted in “mutual respect & peace.” He urges the country to wait patiently for the electoral commission to announce the results.
See tweets below
Final results are expected within five days. Mnangagwa says that “no matter which way we voted, we are all brothers and sisters.”
The election is the first since longtime leader Robert Mugabe stepped down in November under military pressure after 37 years in power. Past votes were marked by violence and irregularities.
Zimbabweans hope a credible vote will lift years of international sanctions and revive a shattered economy.