Zimbabwe ruling party wins two-thirds majority in parliament – officials

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF has attained a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, which allows the party to change the constitution at will, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing official results. President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF swept most rural constituencies by large margins, while the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change won in urban centers. EU observers listed several problems in Zimbabwe’s presidential and parliamentary elections, including media bias, voter intimidation, and mistrust in the electoral commission. They questioned delays in releasing the results of the presidential contest in the first election since Robert Mugabe was forced to resign in November after nearly 40 years in power. Mugabe’s successor Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change were the main contenders in Monday’s election. Chamisa accused the ZANU-PF of trying to steal the election after official figures gave it a majority in parliament.