Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in for a second five-year term Monday, a week after securing an absolute majority in a disputed presidential vote.
The 80-year-old Mnangagwa took the reins of power for another term in a colorful ceremony attended by thousands of Zimbabweans and regional leaders including the presidents of South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique.
Mnangagwa was reelected after winning more than 2 million votes - 52.6% of the total ballots - to defeat his main challenger, Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party, who received 44% of the votes, according to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
Chamisa’s party rejected the results, alleging electoral fraud, and called for fresh elections. The hotly contested poll was also criticized by observers, who said the election process fell short of many regional and international standards.⁷
