Zimbabwe braces for close election as early parliamentary results come in

Early parliamentary results in Zimbabwe showed the ruling party and the main opposition neck and neck on Friday, after an election in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF party was widely expected to maintain its 43-year grip on power.
Presidential results have yet to be announced after Wednesday’s vote, which was extended into Thursday in some neighbourhoods due to late printing of ballot papers.
Mnangagwa, 80, is seeking re-election at a time when the southern African country is grappling with soaring inflation and high unemployment, with many Zimbabweans reliant on dollar remittances from relatives abroad to make ends meet.
His main challenger is 45-year-old lawyer and pastor Nelson Chamisa.
Zimbabwe’s chances of resolving a debt crisis and obtaining World Bank and International Monetary Fund loans are at stake, as foreign lenders have said a free and fair vote is a pre-condition for any meaningful talks.