THE ZIMBABWE Electoral Commission (Zec) has invited political parties who intend to field candidates in this year’s harmonised elections to provide names of at least three national and three provincial office bearers authorised to sign documents on behalf of their organisations.
The notification by Zec is in terms of section 38A of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13], which states that the names of the office bearers must be provided any day from the fourth day after the proclamation of the election date to two days before the sitting of the nomination court. Zimbabwe goes to the polls on August 23 with the nomination court sitting on June 21, meaning political parties have two weeks to submit their names to the electoral body.
The ruling party now has a line-up of its prospective candidates while some parties like CCC are still agonising over the selection of candidates.
ZEC chief elections officer Mr Utoile Silaigwana in a statement said in terms of Section 38A (4) of the Electoral Act, a political party that provides the names of office-bearers in accordance with the section will have the privilege of being entitled to nominate substitute candidates for any candidates who have died or withdrawn before polling day in accordance with section 50A of the Act and to appoint roving party election candidates in accordance with Section 93A of the Act.
“The political parties who intend to field candidates in the 2023 harmonised General Elections are hereby notified in terms of section 38A of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13] to expeditiously provide the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission with the names of at least three national office-bearers of the party, through the Head Office of the Commission, any two of whom will be authorised to make any countersignature required to be made for the purposes of Part XIA and section 46 in any province in which the political party is contesting the election (that is to say, any countersignature required in connection with the Senatorial party-list candidates, the National Assembly constituency and party-list candidates, and the provincial council party-list seats);
“…the names of at least three provincial office-bearers of the party, to the Provincial Elections Officer in that province, any two of who will be authorised to make any countersignature required to be made for the purposes of section 46 for the nomination of candidates for election as councillors in any ward in that province,” he said.
In terms of section 38A (4) of the Electoral Act, Mr Silaigwana said a political party that provides the names of office bearers in accordance with the section will have the privilege of being entitled to nominate substitute candidate for any candidates who have died or withdrawn before polling day in accordance with section 50A of the Act, and appoint roving party election candidates in accordance with section 93 A of the Act
Zec has already invited all those who want to observe the forthcoming harmonised elections to make their applications.
President Mnangagwa recently made it clear that Zimbabwe had nothing to hide as the country had put everything in place to ensure the elections are a free, fair and transparent election. – The Herald
