Chamisa votes, confident of victory

Harare (New Ziana) – Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader, Nelson Chamisa said he was confident of victory in Wednesday’s general elections but expressed misgivings on the way the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) was running the poll.

Speaking after casting his vote at Kuwadzana 2 Primary School in Harare, he said he was worried about the late start to voting in some areas in Harare and Bulawayo.

Ballot papers in some of the areas had yet to be delivered at the start of voting on Wednesday, delays which ZEC said had been caused by court challenges political parties and contestants had lodged with the courts in the run-up to the vote.

The electoral body said this had delayed printing and distribution of ballot papers to some areas, particularly Harare and Bulawayo.

“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has disappointed the citizens. People came out in large numbers, particularly in urban centres of Bulawayo and Harare, where however there wasn’t timeous voting,” Chamisa said.

“We have had many stations reporting unavailability of ballots for councillors, that’s a problem and we have taken it up with ZEC and we are yet to get intelligent answers,” he said.

But ZEC said no voter will be prejudiced in the areas where polling stations opened late, as it will extend the voting period commensurate with the time lost.

Despite the complaints, Chamisa said he was confident of victory, his second shot at the country’s top job.

“There is no way (that) there is not going to be a new government in this country. There is going to be a new leader, a new president, a new government. We are winning this election, we have won this election. They know it. That is why they are panicking,” he said.

In the vote, the electorate is choosing a new president, and parliamentary and local government representatives to run state affairs for the next five years.

Over six million are registered to vote, with results expected within five days of voting.

Polling stations opened at 7 o’clock in the morning, and were due to close at 7 o’clock in the evening on
Wednesday.

New Ziana