Voting has commenced in Zimbabwe as President Emmerson Mnangagwa seeks a second and final term in a country with a history of violent and disputed votes, according to Al Jazeera.
The elections, being held on Wednesday, are the second since the removal of longtime repressive ruler Robert Mugabe in a coup in 2017.
Twelve presidential candidates are on the ballot, but the main contest is expected to be between the 80-year-old Mnangagwa, known as the “crocodile”, and 45-year-old opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.
Mnangagwa narrowly beat Chamisa in a disputed election in 2018.
Chamisa hopes to break the governing ZANU-PF party’s 43-year hold on power. Zimbabwe has known only two leaders since gaining independence from white minority rule in 1980.
A run-off election will be held on October 2 if no candidate wins a clear majority in the first round.
This election will also determine the makeup of the 350-seat parliament and close to 2,000 local council positions.
