Zimbabweans are voting in an election which could bring an end to President Robert Mugabe's 28-year rule as his country buckles under the weight of the world's highest inflation rate.
Large queues had formed outside polling booths by the time they opened at 5am Irish time and the country's 5.9 million voters have 12 hours to choose a president, members of a 210-strong parliament and local councils.
Mr Mugabe, in power in the former British colony since independence in 1980, faces a dual challenge from former finance minister Simba Makoni and Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.
The house of a Zimbabwean ruling party parliamentary candidate was bombed early this morning in the first violence in the country's election, police said.
Chief police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said that a bomb had exploded in a house belonging to a ZANU-PF candidate in Zimbabwe's second largest city of Bulawayo.
The election takes place as Zimbabwe is grappling with the impact of the world's highest rate of inflation, officially put at 100,580.2%, and an unemployment level which has breached the 80% mark.
Once seen as the region's breadbasket, the country is now suffering from previously unheard of shortages of even the most basic foodstuffs such as cooking oil and bread.
Mr Mugabe however has blamed the country's economic woes on the EU and US, which imposed sanctions on his inner circle after he was accused of rigging his 2002 re-election. He has portrayed the election as a chance to stand up against the West.
In comments carried by the state-run Herald newspaper, Mr Mugabe said that polling day ‘must be the day to protect our sovereignty, our independence, our power to make changes, our right to give land to the people.’
Mr Makoni was among the first to vote at the Mandara shopping centre in eastern Harare. ’I feel good, I voted for the best candidate, I voted for Simba Makoni,’ he said.
No reliable opinion polls were conducted during the campaign, although state media has predicted Mr Mugabe would triumph with 57% of the vote and avoid the need for a second round run-off within three weeks.
In his final campaign rally yesterday, Mr Tsvangirai was also confident that he would emerge victorious, saying it was time to show Mr Mugabe ‘the red card.’
Go inside Zimbabwe with RTÉ’s Richard Downes in this special documentary. Click here to watch it now or watch it live on RTÉ One and RTÉ.ie/live on Sunday night at 11.40pm.
