Zimbabwe’s ruling party leads amid allegation of rigging

harare: Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa's ZANU-PF party pulled off major victory in the elections to the parliament.

The party swept the rural constituencies, winning 109 seats against 41 for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Another 58 seats are yet to be declared.

However, ZANU-PF would require 30 more to clock up a two-thirds majority in the 210-seat House of Assembly of Parliament. The big chunk of seats in the parliament meant the party could even change the constitution at will.

The opposition MDC, led by Nelson Chamisa, put up a better show in most of its traditional urban bastions.

Following the results, MDC accused the election commission of wittingly delaying results of this week’s vote to favour ZANU-PF.

Meanwhile, soldiers on Wednesday clashed with protesters in the streets after MDC accused the ruling party of rigging polls.

In the melee that followed at least one person was shot dead.

It was Zimbabwe’s first presidential election since long-reigned Robert Mugabe quit office following a coup in November.

EU observers raised concerns about the conduct of the polls.