Zimbabwe 'to hold election in five months'

Zimbabwe will hold elections in about four to five months time said president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, the first poll in the southern African country since independence that will not involve former President Robert Mugabe.

According to the report by state daily, The Herald, Mnangagwa said he had no doubt that the vote would go ahead peacefully.

Zimbabwe is going for elections in four to five months' time and we have to preach peace, peace and peace because we know it is good for us and we have no doubt that we will have peaceful elections," Mnangagwa was quoted as saying.

We will ensure that Zimbabwe delivers free, credible, fair and indisputable elections to ensure Zimbabwe engages the world as a qualified democratic state.

Mnangagwa, who took over after Mugabe was forced to resign in November, 2017 following a defacto military coup, made the announcement during an official trip to Mozambique.

Under the constitution, Zimbabwe should hold elections between July 22 and August 22 but parliament can elect to dissolve itself, triggering an early vote. The ruling ZANU-PF holds a two-thirds majority in parliament.

The international community will be closely watching the vote, which is seen as a litmus test of Mnangagwa's democratic credentials and is key to unlocking badly needed financial assistance and repairing relations with Western powers and international financial institutions.

Since 2000, elections in Zimbabwe have been marred by political violence and disputes, which led to the country becoming an international pariah under Mugabe's 37-year rule.

Information from Reuters and Aljazeera