MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th August, 2018) Emmerson Mnangagwa, who won July's highly-contested presidential election in Zimbabwe with just over 50 percent of votes, took the oath of office in the country's capital Harare on Sunday.
The Zimbabwe Mail newspaper reported that the inauguration took place at the National sports Stadium and was attended by thousands of people and a number of foreign leaders.
"I Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa swear that as president of the republic of Zimbabwe I will be faithful to Zimbabwe (and) will obey, uphold and defend the constitution of Zimbabwe ... I will protect and promote the rights of Zimbabweans so help me God," Mnangagwa was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
The results of the election were contested by Zimbabwe's main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance, and its leader and former presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa. On Friday, the country's Constitutional Court confirmed that Mnangagwa had been duly elected, however, Chamisa rejected the ruling as well.
The Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front party led by Mnangagwa secured 144 out of 210 seats during the general election, gaining absolute majority in the National Assembly, while the MDC Alliance won 64 seats.
Prior to the election, Mnangagwa was serving as the country's acting president replacing long-time leader Robert Mugabe, who was removed from power in November 2017.
