Election observers from south African kontris don criticise di elections for Zimbabwe.
Dia tok dey come as di kontri election join body don begin count di votes of di election.
Although di regional body SADC say voting bin dey peaceful, but dem say some aspects of di elections fall short of di local laws and dia own guidelines.
Late on Wednesday more than forty poll monitors bin chop arrest as dem bin dey try to compile dia own results to compare am wit di official figures.
Right groups bin condemn dia arrests. President Emmerson Mnangagwa dey seek re-election for di kontri.
Im main challenger na Nelson Chamisa of di opposition Citizens Coalition for Change.
Di opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, accuse di governing ZANU-PF of voter suppression.
Zimbabweans dey vote as di kontri dey face of one of di world highest rates of inflation and accuse of opposition oppression.
Tori be say na for 2017 dem bin overthrow dia long-time president Robert Mugabe but many pipo say tins neva change.
During di campaign ahead of voting, di major koko na about how free and fair di ballot go be for di Kontri wey dey try to rebuild im image.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa dey face 10 challengers, wey include Nelson Chamisa of di main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
By law, dem must announce di presidential election results within five days afta voting end.
One presidential candidate need more dan 50% of di vote to win. If no outright victor dey, dem go do presidential run-off in six weeks on 2 October.
Na di first election since di death of Robert Mugabe, di man wey dominate Zimbabwean politics and di ruling Zanu-PF party for decades.
E die in 2019 nearly two years after military takeover, comot and replace am wit im deputy, Mr Mnangagwa.
Polling stations don open at 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT) and voters dey also choose local councillors.
For members of parliament and council candidates, to win di election di candidate must get di highest vote.
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Who dey run for president?
Di Zimbabwe Electoral Commission approve 11 candidates for dis election.
Dis na sharp drop for di 23 pipo wey bin contest for di last election for 2018, no doubt di drop na sake of say each candidate now gatz pay $20,000 (£16,000), up from $1,000 (£800).
But di contest dey likely to be between two men:
- Incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa, from di governing Zanu-PF party
- Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, from di Citizen’s Coalition for Change (CCC)
Oga Mnangagwa, 80, don dey lead Zimbabwe since di military bin force Robert Mugabe to resign for 2017, and den win a disputed election a year later. Im be long time paddy of Mugabe before di two of dem fall out.
Oga Chamisa, 45, bin come second for 2018, e win 44% of di vote. For 2020, court ruling remove am as di leader of di main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) sake of dat ruling im lose access to party assets and state funding.
For 2022 im form di CCC, now CCC dey very popular for di city areas and na di main face of di opposition.
Oda contenders include Elisabeth Valerio, di only female candidate. She bin chop disqualification but successfully challenge di decision by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to reject her nomination papers.
Douglas Mwonzora, di MDC new leader, dey presidential ballot too, although im bin ask Zec to remove im name, e say di election na”sham”.
Di oda candidates na:
- Joseph Makamba Busha: FREEZIM Congress
- Trust Tapiwa Chikohora: ZCPD
- Blessing Kasiyamhuru: ZIPP
- Lovemore Madhuku: NCA
- Wilbert Archbald Mubaiwa: NPC
- Gwinyai Henry Muzorewa: The UANC
- Harry Peter Wilson: DOP
Who go win?
Zanu-PF get advantage of incumbency, state power and access to state resources. Di party, wey don power since independence for 1980, also retain dia strong support for rural areas.
But wit das di economy don dabaru, many pipo, especially those for di city areas and di youth, feel say now na di time for change.
Normally rural voters aka pipo wey stay for village dey come out well-well, unlike urban and youth voters, dis fit work against di opposition. Di goment also no gree allow Zimbabweans wey dey live abroad to vote – dis also fit work against Oga Chamisa.
So far Polling don predict different results, so e dey hard to use dat as guide as to know who fit end up as president.
Also, human rights activists say before Zanu-PF bin dey use different tactics to stay for power, including violence and intimidation, state-media blackouts and negative coverage of di opposition. Zanu-PF don deny di accuse say dem dey use dirty tricks against dia opponents.
Wetin be di main issues?
Di high cost-of-living palava continue to be di major concern for voters, di last three years na some of di worst in a decade. Di 12 months wey lead up to May dis year, prices don rise by 86.5%, one of di highest annual inflation rates for di world.
Meanwhile, businesses dey struggle to cope wit poor power supply and local currency wey no dey stable, wey lose 86% of im value between January and early June.
Allegations of corruption also dey too wey dey frustrate many pipo, wit very low rate of prosecution. During di Covid pandemic, dem allegedly buy equipment was allegedly for very high prices – di health minister chop sack but then court clear am.
Di election go dey free and fair?
Civil society groups and di opposition doubt say di polls go dey free or fair. Dem cite wetin dem be systemic crackdown on goment critics.
Di arrests and convictions of opposition figures and gomentt critics don increase ova di last two years.
Di electoral reforms wey di opposition dey demand for for years – to level di playing field, provide access to public media and remove ex-military personnel from di electoral body – neva happun.
CCC leader Oga Chamisa say more dan 60 of di party meetings chop ban, or face palava by police during by-elections last year, wey don bring fear since e happun.
As former Zimbabwean politician Jonathan Moyo put am, Zanu-PF no go “reform itself out of power”.
Wetin happun for last election for 2018?
Dis go be di second time Oga Mnangagwa and Oga Chamisa go face each oda.
Five years ago, di president bin win for di first round wit 50.8% of di vote, but kasala burst afta di election wia six pio bin die when security forces bin shoot protesters.
Observers generally praise di freedom of movement during di campaign period and relative peace on voting day, but EU for example complain about major issues including misuse of state resources to favour of di incumbent.
EU say di final results wey Electoral Commission bin announce get plenty error.
Oga Chamisa party bin fail for dia court case to cancel di result afta dem argue say di presidential and parliamentary vote tallies bin dey off by tens of thousands.
