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Zimbabwe election: Mnangagwa and Chamisa both upbeat Zimbabwe's MDC Alliance says Chamisa beat Mnangagwa
(about 1 hour later)
Zimbabwe is awaiting the results of its landmark elections, with both frontrunners saying they are confident. Zimbabwe's opposition says its candidate, Nelson Chamisa, has won Monday's presidential election.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he had received "extremely positive" information but opposition leader Nelson Chamisa said his party was "winning resoundingly". The MDC Alliance says the ruling Zanu-PF party is attempting to rig the vote to allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to win, and the delay in releasing official results is unacceptable.
Zimbabwe is electing a new president, parliament and local councils. The election commission has said there has been no cheating and it needed time to collate the votes.
Monday's vote - the first since long-serving ruler Robert Mugabe was ousted - attracted a high turnout of 70%. The polls were the first since long-serving ruler Robert Mugabe was ousted.
The youth vote is expected to be key - with almost half of Zimbabwe's 5.6 million registered voters under the age of 35. Speaking at a press conference in the capital, Harare, the MDC Alliance's Tendai Biti said there was a clear attempt by Zanu-PF to interfere "with the people's will".
Zanu-PF, which has been in power since 1980, has been accused of rigging elections in the past to keep Mr Mugabe in office.
However, a party spokesman told the BBC he had "no clue" what Mr Biti was talking about.
Monday's vote attracted a high turnout of 70% and was monitored by international observers.
European Union and US election monitors have been allowed into the country for the first time in 16 years to assess whether the elections are free and fair.European Union and US election monitors have been allowed into the country for the first time in 16 years to assess whether the elections are free and fair.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) chairwoman Priscilla Chigumba said she was satisfied there was no cheating. Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) chairwoman Priscilla Chigumba said she was satisfied there was no rigging.
"We will not subvert [the people's will]," she told journalists."We will not subvert [the people's will]," she told journalists.
But Mr Chamisa's opposition MDC Alliance says it has serious concerns that some people have tried to interfere with the results. When will we know the official winner?
Ballots were "stuffed" in some areas where the MDC Alliance did not have polling agents, MDC Alliance official Tendai Biti told the BBC.
Previous polls have been marred by allegations of widespread rigging and intimidation.
The ruling Zanu-PF party has been in power since independence in 1980.
When will we know the winner?
Zec has until Saturday to announce the results but Ms Chigumba said she expects the announcement to be made well within that deadline.Zec has until Saturday to announce the results but Ms Chigumba said she expects the announcement to be made well within that deadline.
Observers say the race between Mr Mnangagwa's Zanu-PF party, and Mr Chamisa's MDC Alliance, is extremely tight.Observers say the race between Mr Mnangagwa's Zanu-PF party, and Mr Chamisa's MDC Alliance, is extremely tight.
Both men are among 23 candidates running for president.Both men are among 23 candidates running for president.
They both hinted at victory on Tuesday, but said they were waiting for Zec to make the announcement. Zec has announced some of the results in the parliamentary elections but says it needs time to pull together the figures for the presidential poll from across the country.
They are running for the presidency for the first time, and need more than 50% of the vote to win outright. A presidential candidate needs more than 50% of the vote to win outright. Otherwise, a run-off election will be held on 8 September.
Otherwise, a run-off election will be held on 8 September.
'Quiet anticipation'
By Pumza Fihlani, BBC News, Harare
As counting continues throughout the country, here in the capital life is returning to normal with businesses reopening.
But there is a sense of quiet anticipation as people wait for the results in this hotly contested race.
With a high turnout electoral commission officials have their work cut out for them. They need to manually count the ballots cast and also have them verified.
In the age of social media and fake news, many are hoping the election commission will deliver the results sooner rather than later.
But will the losers accept defeat? This will be the true test of Zimbabwe's newly-found democracy as post-election periods in the past have descended into chaos and violence.
Do we know any results?
A first set of official results in the local and parliamentary elections are due to be announced at 13:00 GMT, but already candidates are accepting defeat in some of the races.
Pastor Evan Mawarire, who rose to prominence in 2016 by rallying support against Mr Mugabe's government on social media, failed in his attempt to win a seat on Harare's city council.
His #ThisFlag movement, which denounced the government's management of the economy, gained tens of thousands of followers at the time.
Lawyer Fadzayi Mahere, who has a large following on Twitter and ran a successful social media campaign, lost her bid to become an MP for a constituency in the capital.
"We consistently said that we'd win or we'd learn," she tweeted.
Who are the main presidential rivals?Who are the main presidential rivals?
Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zanu-PFEmmerson Mnangagwa, Zanu-PF
The 'crocodile' who snapped backThe 'crocodile' who snapped back
Nelson Chamisa, MDC AllianceNelson Chamisa, MDC Alliance
The crusader taking on Zimbabwe's 'crocodile'The crusader taking on Zimbabwe's 'crocodile'
What are foreign observers saying?What are foreign observers saying?
European Union chief observer Elmar Brok said it was too soon to make a judgement but voting had been "very smooth" in some areas and "totally disorganised" in other areas, Reuters news agency quotes him as saying.European Union chief observer Elmar Brok said it was too soon to make a judgement but voting had been "very smooth" in some areas and "totally disorganised" in other areas, Reuters news agency quotes him as saying.
"There are shortcomings that we have to check. We don't know yet whether it was a pattern or whether it was a question of bad organisation in certain polling stations," Mr Brok told the AFP new agency."There are shortcomings that we have to check. We don't know yet whether it was a pattern or whether it was a question of bad organisation in certain polling stations," Mr Brok told the AFP new agency.
As well as worries about the voters' roll, the opposition has expressed concern over the security of ballot papers and voter intimidation in mainly rural areas.As well as worries about the voters' roll, the opposition has expressed concern over the security of ballot papers and voter intimidation in mainly rural areas.
Liberia's former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was monitoring the poll on behalf of the US-based National Democratic Institute, told the BBC that Monday's long queues showed Zimbabweans were enthusiastic about voting, without any kind of repression.Liberia's former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was monitoring the poll on behalf of the US-based National Democratic Institute, told the BBC that Monday's long queues showed Zimbabweans were enthusiastic about voting, without any kind of repression.
"I think this is an exciting moment for Zimbabweans to change the course of their country through their votes," she told the BBC."I think this is an exciting moment for Zimbabweans to change the course of their country through their votes," she told the BBC.