Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 2 augusT 2018
Deadly riots rock Zimbabwe's capital as vote results delayed

By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA totals on Wednesday, the
FARAI MUTSAKA electoral commission said
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — it would wait until Thursday,
Soldiers and police fired live adding that agents for the
rounds, water cannons and more than 20 candidates
tear gas at furious protest- must verify them first.
ers who threw rocks and "The more the presidential
burned vehicles Wednes- vote is delayed, the more
day in Zimbabwe's capital, it calls into question the
dashing the optimism of population's confidence in
an election that the coun- the election process," said
try hoped would set it on a former Liberian leader Ellen
new course after decades Johnson Sirleaf, the lead
of Robert Mugabe's rule. At observer of a U.S. monitor-
least three people were re- ing mission.
ported killed. While the electoral com-
Violence swept through mission legally has five days
central Harare after an of- from the end of the elec-
ficial announcement that tion to announce results,
the ruling ZANU-PF party Western observer groups
had won most of the seats urged the release of the
in Parliament, an outcome presidential results as soon
that enraged opposition as possible. The EU mission
supporters who believe questioned why presiden-
they have been cheated tial votes were counted
of victory. first but were being an-
The Zimbabwe Electoral nounced last.
Commission's decision to Many Zimbabweans
delay announcing the re- looked to the vote as a
sults of the presidential launching pad for a return
race at least until Thurs- pposition supporters gesture outside the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission offices in Harare, to the kind of international
day — three days after the Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. acceptance and relative
vote — seemed certain to Associated Press prosperity that the country
bring more opposition an- enjoyed in the first part of
ger if President Emmerson The riots surged up to the turbances. Under Mugabe, their first assessments of the the rule of Mugabe, who
Mnangagwa is declared fence of the Rainbow Tow- the law was used routinely election, saying it was con- took office after indepen-
the winner. Alternatively, ers Hotel & and Confer- to ban anti-government ducted in a relatively free dence from white minority
many Zimbabweans won- ence Centre, where the meetings and demonstra- environment and was a rule in 1980.
der whether the ruling es- electoral commission has tions since its enactment in big improvement over past But the violence in Harare
tablishment, including the been announcing results 2002. votes marred by violence seemed to put those aspi-
military, would accept a and many international Mnangagwa, a former and irregularities, although rations on hold. It was the
win for the main opposition election observers are stay- deputy president who suc- they noted significant first time the military was
leader, Nelson Chamisa. ing. Inside the main gate, ceeded Mugabe after a problems. back in the streets since
Monday's upbeat spec- a water cannon mounted military takeover in Novem- European Union observers Mugabe's ouster — at that
tacle of millions of Zimba- on a police vehicle blast- ber, blamed the opposition said "a truly level playing time, they were welcomed
bweans voting peacefully ed protesters who hurled for the violence and said it field was not achieved" by residents as liberators.
was eclipsed 48 hours later rocks that bounced off its was "meant to disrupt the in the election, pointing On Wednesday, they came
by scenes of tanks and oth- armored plating. electoral process," the state out the "misuse of state re- to enforce a crackdown.
er military vehicles speed- "They are trying to protest broadcaster reported. sources, instances of coer- At Harare's Parirenyatwa
ing through debris-strewn so they can get fair results," The opposition, in turn, said cion and intimidation, par- Hospital, a family wept in
streets and soldiers beat- said Elisha Pfigu, a 31-year- security forces acted in a tisan behavior by tradition- an emergency room where
ing protesters who had old street vendor who wari- "disproportionate and un- al leaders and overt bias in a man who had been fa-
blocked main roads and ly watched soldiers at an justified" way, and it ques- state media." tally shot lay on a stretcher.
set bonfires. Some journal- intersection. tioned why the military had Elmar Brok, head of the EU At one point, the relatives
ists also were attacked. Pfigu said he was optimis- been deployed. observer mission, said there blocked hospital staff from
Gunfire was heard down- tic on election day for the "Are we in war? Are civilians were "many shortcomings" wheeling the body to the
town throughout the after- country's first vote without the enemy of the state?" in the election, but it was mortuary and demanded
noon, including near the Mugabe, who ruled for said Nkululeko Sibanda, unclear whether they influ- a police explanation; a
ruling party headquarters nearly four decades, on spokesman for the Move- enced the results. plainclothes officer said
where protesters had gath- the ballot. ment for Democratic The opposition alleged ir- they could return Thursday
ered. Police fired tear gas "Now it's different. It's totally Change, the main opposi- regularities, saying results to pick up the body after a
and grabbed more canis- different" he said. "People tion party. were not posted outside police investigation.
ters from an officer carrying were happy on Monday. United Nations deputy one-fifth of polling stations Jack Mufambi, a resident
them in a crate. Now they are not happy. spokesman Farhan Haq as required by law. MDC walking near the ruling par-
Three people were killed, We are not going to rest." appealed to Zimbabwe "to leader Chamisa has said ty headquarters, said he
state broadcaster ZBC said. Authorities invoked Zimba- exercise restraint and reject outright that his own count was scared to go outdoors
Associated Press journalists bwe's Public Order and Se- any form of violence while shows he won the elec- on Thursday. He said he had
saw two bodies and anoth- curity Act, which allows po- awaiting resolution of the tion, drawing government seen the body of someone
er person who had been lice to ban public meetings disputes and announce- accusations of inciting vio- cut down by gunfire.
shot in the leg. There were or gatherings. The police ment of the election re- lence. "His eyes were open,"
pools and trails of blood on can also ask the military for sults." After first indicating it would Mufambi said. "He was
the streets. help in cases of public dis- International monitors gave release presidential vote dead."q