Zimbabwe awaits results of hotly contested election

Vote counting was under way Thursday in Zimbabwe's hotly contested election as both President Robert Mugabe and his main rival Morgan Tsvangirai predicted victory.

Partial results are expected Thursday, the Zimbabwe Election Commission said. It has until Monday to release the full results.

As vote counting ensued, the commission dismissed Tsvangirai's party allegations of vote rigging.

"I believe that the election is free and fair," said Rita Makarau, the commission's chairwoman. "The reports that will come out will vindicate my view of the election as free and fair."

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Mugabe, 89, has been at the helm since 1980, the only president the nation has known since it gained independence from Britain. A win would extend his time in office to 38 years. He has pledged to concede if he loses.

"If you lose, then you must surrender to those who have won," he said before the vote. "If you win, those who have lost then must surrender to those who have won. This is it. We will do so. Yes. Comply with the rules."

The outcome will end an uneasy coalition government formed after violence marred the last poll, leaving about 200 people dead and thousands injured.

Regional leaders dismissed that election as a sham and pressured Mugabe to form a power-sharing agreement with Tsvangirai, which led to the tense coalition in 2009.

The opposition says it has no confidence in this election, either.

Days before the election, Tsvangirai, 61, said "there is clear evidence of manipulation" in poll preparations. He said ballot papers cast in his favor during early voting were discovered tossed in a bin.

Rights groups accuse the government of intimidating and beating up opposition supporters, and interfering with the polls.

Mugabe's party has denied the accusations and extended a conciliatory message to Tsvangirai.

"I've got my fair share of criticisms and also dealt back rights and lefts and uppercuts. But that's the game. Although we boxed each other, with Tsvangirai, it's not as hostile as before. It's all over now. We can now shake hands," he said.

Mugabe to West: Back off

The elections were held under a new constitution endorsed in a March referendum that limits the president to two five-year terms. Mugabe is allowed to seek another term because the rule does not apply retroactively.

Last week, he had a few words for critics of the upcoming election, especially the West.

"Keep your pink nose out of our affairs, please," he said in response to criticisms from the United States on his push for elections without key reforms.

Zimbabwe's challenge: Confidence

About 6.4 million voters in Zimbabwe -- half of the country's population -- were eligible to cast their ballots, according to the electoral commission. Long lines snaked at polling stations, an indication of high voter turnout.

"Today is a historic day," Tsvangirai said. "It's an emotional moment when you see all these people coming to vote."

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'Will this be the moment?'

Citizens say this year's election is crucial in more ways than one.

Despite the setbacks, it provides another shot at democracy.

"We are still a young country ... our democracy is still young," said Nigel Mugamu, who lives in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare. "A lot of African countries have changed leadership at least once or twice. We haven't seen a new face. From that perspective, it's an exciting time. Will this be the moment it will happen?"

Hope after hyperinflation

Mugamu said a peaceful election will boost investment, a major concern for the nation, which has tense relations with most of its major donors.

This is the first poll since Zimbabwe battled hyperinflation that left investors jittery and led many to abandon the country's currency.

In 2009, the nation introduced a 100 trillion-dollar bill that was worth about $300 in U.S. currency. At the time, a loaf of bread cost about 300 billion Zimbabwean dollars.

The hyperinflation forced traders to insist on international currency to hedge against losses. They preferred the U.S. dollar or South African rand, and most workers demanded their salaries in foreign currency.

Big strides

Despite widespread poverty, the nation has made major strides in its economy since then, experts say.

"Zimbabwe has made considerable progress in stabilizing the economy since the end of hyperinflation in 2009," the International Monetary Fund said last month.

Since then, the nation's gross domestic product "has grown by an average of over 7% and inflation has remained in the low single digits. Government revenues have more than doubled from 16% of GDP in 2009 to an estimated 36% of GDP in 2012, allowing the restoration of basic public services."

And as the nation returns from the brink of a crippled economy, Zimbabweans are hopeful.

Linda Mukusha braved long lines and chilly morning weather to cast her vote in Harare.

"Whoever wins, the country needs to move forward," she said.