( CNN ) -- Zimbabweans are voting in a hotly-contested election as President Robert Mugabe seeks to extend power for a further five years . Mugabe , 89 , has been at the helm since 1980 , and is the only leader the nation has known since it gained independence from Britain . The polls are expected to end an uneasy coalition government formed after violence broke out when Mugabe claimed victory in the last election five years ago . The post-election violence left 200 people dead and thousands more injured , according to rights groups . Is Zimbabwe ready for elections ? Depends on who you ask . What do we need to know about these elections ? They are taking place 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 . Results are expected within five days . To be declared winner , a candidate needs to win more than 50 % of the vote . If that does n't happen , a run-off will be held on September 11. Who is running for president ? The head of state Robert Mugabe , the 89-year-old leader of Zanu-PF , is seeking to extend his 33-year rule . His main rival is the current Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai , who helped form the Movement for Democratic Change ( MDC ) in 1999 . Tsvangirai , 61 , hopes to become president after three failed attempts . There are three other candidates : Welshman Ncube , the current industry and commerce minister and president of the Movement for Democratic Change ; Dumiso Dabengwa , leader of the Zimbabwe African People 's Union ( Zapu ) , and Kisinoti Munodei Mukwazhe , who represents the small Zimbabwe Development Party ( ZDP ) . Who is Robert Mugabe ? Mugabe , born in 1924 in the south of Rhodesia , spent his early career as a teacher . Drawn to the struggle for independence , he fled the country in the early 1960s , only to be jailed for 10 years on his return in 1964 . On his release he formed Zanu-PF , which he led from neighboring Mozambique . The conflict came at the same time as the ANC in South Africa , led by Nelson Mandela , engaged in its struggle to overthrow apartheid , a cause that drew strong support from Mugabe and his followers . In 1980 , Mugabe became prime minister of the newly formed Zimbabwe , and he assumed the position of president in 1987 . A Wikileaks cable released in 2011 claiming Mugabe had prostate cancer was dismissed by his party . What problems has Zimbabwe faced ? Mugabe 's liberation credentials held him in good stead during the early part of his leadership , with many seeing him as a politician who could unite a country that had been divided through civil conflict . But in 2000 he drew criticism for his land reform program , when white farmers were evicted from their land , which was given to poor black Zimbabweans , many of them veterans of the struggle for independence with limited knowledge of commercial farming . Soon , agricultural output began to decrease sharply . Overseas , Mugabe 's relationship with nations beyond southern Africa became rocky . In December 2003 Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth , the organization of the United Kingdom and predominantly her former colonies . Five years later the UK government stripped Mugabe of the honorary knighthood he had been awarded by Queen Elizabeth II . The European Union imposed sanctions on Mugabe and his allies over its human rights record . By 2008 inflation in Zimbabwe had soared to 200 million percent . Food shelves were empty , international isolation continued to hit the economy , and corruption was rife . Mugabe failed to win enough votes in the March 2008 presidential vote to retake office . His main opponent , Morgan Tsvangirai , leader of the Movement for Democratic Change ( MDC ) , withdrew from the presidential run-off vote scheduled for June 2008 , alleging Mugabe supporters had used violence and intimidation . Scores of opposition party supporters were beaten , tortured and killed . A power-sharing agreement was eventually signed in September 2008 , but a government of national unity was only formed in February 2009 , after Tsvangirai was sworn in as prime minister . How is Zimbabwe 's economy doing at the moment ? In 2009 , the country 's unemployment rate stood at 94 % according to the CIA . However , since 2009 , Zimbabwe 's economy has started to recover from a decade-long crisis . The value of mineral exports increased by 230 % during 2009-2011 , while the value of agricultural exports increased by 101 % during the same period . Growth in 2011 was led by strong growth in mining ( 50.5 % ) , agriculture ( 17.1 % ) and services ( 16.3 % ) , according to the World Bank . Zimbabwe 's economy recorded real growth of more than 9 % per year in 2010-11 , before slowing to 5 % in 2012 , mainly because of a poor harvest and low diamond revenues . But poverty in Zimbabwe is still widespread , food shortages affect many parts of the country , and corruption is rife . Africa 's rocky road to democracy .
Zimbabweans head to the polls in a hotly - contested election . President Robert Mugabe seeks to maintain his constitutional rule . His main rival is the current Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai . Results of the election are announced within five days .