Counting starts after Zimbabweans vote in pivotal election
HARARE, Zimbabwe — With hope and pride, millions of Zimbabweans voted peacefully Monday in an election that many believe is their best chance to escape the toxic politics and dead-end economics of the era of Robert Mugabe, who wasn’t on the ballot for the first time in the nation’s nearly four-decade history.
But opposition activists used to the violence, intimidation and vote-tampering that marred elections under Mugabe called for vigilance against the same kind of skullduggery this time around. Western monitors noted some problems at polling stations, but said it wasn’t yet clear whether they reflected a deliberate effort to manipulate the elections.
“They may be peaceful, but we don’t know how credible they are,” said 51-year-old Classified Chivese, a voter who, like many Zimbabweans, is unemployed.
Zimbabwe’s political climate has opened up since 94-year-old Mugabe, who once said he would rule for life, resigned in November after a military takeover and ruling party move to impeach him. Throngs celebrated the removal of Mugabe, in power since independence from white minority rule in 1980, but many Zimbabweans view Monday’s election as an equally important milestone.