Tsvangirai casts vote, says Zimbabwe elections 'historic'

Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who challenged Zimbabwe's veteran leader Robert Mugabe the third time in a decade, cast his vote Wednesday morning as the country's presidential, legislative and local government elections got a smooth start. He arrived at a polling station at Mt Pleasant High School shortly after 10:00 a.m. local time, hand in hand with his wife Elizabeth and was accompanied by his children. He then proceeded to vote in the election he described as "historic". "Today is a very historic moment for us. It is an emotional moment, after all the conflict, suspicion and hostility, there is a sense of calmness," Tsvangirai told journalists just before he left the polling station. He said that the Wednesday's vote was a "delayed presidential run-off" in the disputed 2008 polls. Morgan Tsvangirai, 61, is admired by reformists in the country for his sheer courage and determination to usher in democratic change in the country. As the leader of the larger Movement for Democratic Change (MDC- T) party, Tsvangirai ran for the presidency of Zimbabwe twice since 2002 but failed. Tsvangirai entered the coalition government with Mugabe in 2009 and is in his third attempt to unseat Africa's oldest leader. He told voters on Wednesday that despite the perceived slowness in the process, everyone in the queue would be able to vote by the time of closure of polling stations at 7: 00 p.m. local time. "I hope that there will be no impediments for people to cast their votes," he said.