Zimbabwean leader Mnangagwa sets date for long-awaited by-elections

Harare, Zimbabwe | Xinhua | Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has proclaimed March 26 as the date for the long-awaited by-elections to fill vacant seats in the National Assembly and various local authorities across the country.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had in 2020 suspended the holding of by-elections in line with government COVID-19 regulations, banning huge gatherings to curb the spread of the pandemic.

In Proclamation 1 of 2022, which was issued on Dec. 24, 2021, and published by the ZEC on Thursday, Mnangagwa fixed Jan. 26 as the date on which nomination courts will sit to accept the filing of papers by prospective candidates.

There are 133 by-elections due for National Assembly and local authority seats, most of which fell vacant following the recall of Members of Parliament and councilors by the opposition MDC-T party.

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Xinhua