Zimbabwean Presidential Election Kicks Off on High Note in Harare

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, March 09, 2002

Zimbabwean Presidential Election Kicks Off on High Note in Harare

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The 2002 presidential election in Zimbabwe kicked off on a high note Saturday morning in the capital Harare, with thousands of voters queuing up to vote in Harare South, Hatfield, Mbare East and West constituencies.

Long queues could be seen at most polling stations as voters patiently waited to cast their votes.

At Nenyere polling station in Mbare East, the queue for voters was stretching for about 200 meters and the situation was the same at Sunningdale district offices in Harare South and Widdecombe primary school in Hatfield.

Polling agents and observers confirmed the polling stations had opened in time.

Some voters complained the polling process was slow. "We have been in this queue since 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) but it is not moving," said a voter at Sunningdale district offices.

Xinhua correspondents observed it was taking about eight minutes for one voter to go through the voting process.

"I have been to several polling stations and the situation is okay as all the polling stations opened in time," said Harare South constituency registrar Ephraim Macheka.

Exalgina Gamboa, member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) observer mission, told Xinhua that her team had been to four polling stations and the situation was calm.

"Some polling stations are quick while others are slow in processing the voters and there is a high voter turnout," she said.

The presidential election is pitting President Robert Mugabe of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU- PF) against Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Shakespear Maya of the National Alliance for Good Governance (NAGG), and two independents Wilson Khumbula and Paul Siwela.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Commonwealth Leaders Postpone Decision on Zimbabwe