Zimbabwe Elections 2023: The Battle for Zimbabwean Presidency

Zimbabweans are heading to the polls on August 23 for presidential elections. This is the second time elections are being conducted in Zimbabwe since long-time leader Robert Mugabe was ousted in 2017.

There are eleven candidates running for the top job. But the race is fierce between the incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa who is the candidate of the ruling ZANU-PF party, and Nelson Chamisa, the candidate of the opposition Citizen's Coalition for Change (CCC).

The contest is somehow a repeat of the last race in 2018 when Mnangagwa defeated Chamisa. However, the opposition candidate is upbeat this time around.

Unemployment, poverty and access to healthcare are among key issues in the country as voters head to the polls. Voters hope for a peaceful and credible process given the country's history of political violence and electoral disputes.

The election commission says there are 6.6 million registered voters. According to the law, a presidential candidate must get more than 50% of the votes in order to win the election in the first round.

If there is no clear winner in the first round, a run-off between the top two contenders is expected to be conducted on October 2.

Zimbabweans will also vote in local and parliamentary elections on the same day. Candidates for local and parliamentary offices require a simple majority of the total votes cast.

The law requires that the presidential election results be announced within five days after voting.