HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - The Latest on Zimbabwe’s disputed presidential election (all times local):
9:35 p.m.
An angry new statement from Zimbabwe’s main opposition rejects the court ruling that upholds President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s narrow and disputed election win.
The opposition earlier Friday said it would respect the unanimous ruling by the constitutional court. The new statement now says the decision entrenches “an illegitimate regime.”
The statement also says in the coming days the opposition will announce a “vigorous program of action in response to this electoral theft of the century.”
While the statement calls on Zimbabweans for calm, concerns have been high about possible unrest. Mnangagwa’s inauguration is on Sunday in the capital, Harare.
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6 p.m.
A spokesman for Zimbabwe’s ruling party says the inauguration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa will be on Sunday after the constitutional court upheld his election win.
Paul Mangwana says the daylong event at the National Sports Stadium in the capital, Harare, will begin at 10 a.m.
Mnangagwa has spoken to the nation on state television and called for calm. He also declared that the July 30 election was the most transparent and credible the country ever had.
This was the first election after the end of Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule, which was marked by rigged elections.
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5:25 p.m.
The Zimbabwe opposition figure who was denied asylum in Zambia and then charged at home with inciting public violence says “the struggle continues” after the constitutional court upheld President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s narrow election win.
Tendai Biti on Twitter says “we will take body blows but we will continue our fight for truth and justice.” His treatment drew international concern about a crackdown on the opposition in Zimbabwe. The government has blamed him for protests in the capital after the peaceful July 30 vote.
The court unanimously said the opposition failed to present “sufficient and credible” evidence to back its claims of vote-rigging.
The ruling ZANU-PF party has held power since independence in 1980 and Mnangagwa’s inauguration is expected on Sunday.
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5:15 p.m.
Zimbabwe’s president has quickly called for peace after the constitutional court upheld his narrow election victory and said the opposition failed to present “sufficient and credible” evidence to back its claims of a rigged vote.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa in a series of tweets says to opposition challenger Nelson Chamisa “my door is open and my arms are outstretched” as he calls for the country to move forward together.
Streets are quiet in the capital, Harare, an opposition stronghold, after the court ruling. Security was tight.
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4:10 p.m.
Zimbabwe’s constitutional court has upheld President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s narrow victory in last month’s historic election after the opposition alleged vote-rigging.
The unanimous decision that the opposition failed to produce “sufficient and credible evidence” means the inauguration will be held within 48 hours as Zimbabwe moves into a new era after Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule.
Security was tight in the capital, Harare, ahead of the court’s ruling amid concerns about possible unrest.
The July 30 vote was peaceful but scenes of the military sweeping into the capital two days later to disperse opposition protesters led to fears that Mnangagwa’s government was stuck in the past despite declarations of reforms.
The 75-year-old Mnangagwa, a former enforcer for Mugabe, took power after Mugabe stepped down in November under military pressure.
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2:15 p.m.
Zimbabwe’s state media say the constitutional court ruling on the disputed presidential election has been delayed by an hour.
The ruling is now expected at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT).
Security is tight in the capital, Harare, as the court will determine whether President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s narrow victory is valid. The opposition claims vote-rigging and seeks either a fresh election or a declaration that its candidate, Nelson Chamisa, won.
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1:25 p.m.
Zimbabwe’s main opposition is expressing concern over reports that preparations have begun for the inauguration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa even before the constitutional court has ruled on its challenge to the election results.
A spokesman has spoken to reporters an hour before the court is set to announce its ruling.
The spokesman says inauguration preparations cannot begin before the court ruling and “that is a problem.”
If the court upholds Mnangagwa’s narrow election victory the inauguration would be held within 48 hours.
An Associated Press reporter sees no preparations at the national stadium in the capital, Harare.
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10:30 a.m.
Zimbabwe’s constitutional court is ruling Friday afternoon on the main opposition’s challenge to the results of last month’s historic presidential election.
Security is tight in the capital, Harare, as the court will determine whether President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s narrow victory is valid. The opposition claims vote-rigging and seeks either a fresh election or a declaration that its candidate, Nelson Chamisa, won.
A credible vote is key to lifting international sanctions as the southern African nation tries to move away from the long shadow of Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule.
The July 30 vote was peaceful but scenes of the military sweeping into the capital two days later to disperse opposition protesters led to fears that the government of Mnangagwa, a former Mugabe enforcer, was stuck in the past despite declarations of reforms.
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