Nomination Court opens

ALL is set for the Nomination Court which is sitting today marking the beginning of the race for the August 23 harmonised elections.

Aspiring candidates sponsored by political parties and independents across the country are today expected to submit their nomination papers.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had by end of business yesterday, set up stations at provincial magistrate courts and at all councils offices where candidates will file their nomination papers.

A Chronicle news crew observed some aspiring candidates conducting a pre-lodging exercise with ZEC officials assisting them to verify their papers.

ZEC chief elections officer Mr Utloile Silaigwana said the commission is ready for the sitting of the Nomination Court.

He said the public should be aware that elections will be conducted using new delimitation boundaries.

"We would like to advise that the Nomination Courts as per the proclamation will commence at 10AM and close at 4PM tomorrow, 21 June 2023. This is in terms of the electoral law Section 46 subsection 7 of the Electoral Act and that says no nomination paper shall be received after 4PM on the nomination date," he said.

Mr Silaigwana however said those candidates who will be inside the Nomination Court by 4PM, will be attended to.

He said ZEC has fixed anomalies that the public raised during the voter's roll inspection.

"I want to assure the electorate that the commission has rectified the anomalies that were identified by both voters and ourselves.

"From the proclamation of the election by the State President setting 23  August as the date for the harmonised elections, ZEC would like to advise the electorate that the voters' roll for this election closed on the 2nd of June in accordance with the electoral law," said Mr Silaigwana

The main political parties yesterday said they are targeting all the available                                                     seats ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.

Zanu- PF national commissar Mike Bimha said the party has candidates for all contested seats.

"As before we have never had any fear of contesting for any position, we will contest all positions. After the nomination court, our campaigns start," he said.

Bimha said the ruling party is confident of a resounding victory.

He said Zanu- PF has assembled the best team chosen by the party's structures to represent the party in the elections.

"We are getting closer to what we have been waiting for. We have been organising our party, re-energising our party, holding our internal elections as per our constitution, mobilising our electorate, educating our membership in terms of what the party stands for and what Government has done since the coming of the Second Republic and what has already been achieved in terms of our road towards achieving Vision 2030," said Bimha.

MDC spokesperson Mr Witness Dube said his party will be fielding candidates across the board despite not having finalised the list for those contesting for local authority seats.

"With regards to the Parliamentary positions we are fielding a full complement of 210 candidates, plus the proportional representation list, that is the Senate, Lower House and the proportional representation for councils," he said.

Mr Dube said the party had by yesterday 90 percent of the candidates for councils.

" We will do our final tally first thing in the morning before our team heads to the Nomination Court," he said.

Posting on social media platform Twitter, Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) deputy spokesperson Mr Gift Ostallos Siziba said the opposition party will contest in all the available seats for councils.

"One Presidential candidate. 210 Members of Parliament. 1970 Councillors. Let's go!" posted Mr Siziba.