By-elections to fill MDC Renewal Team seats set for 10 June

President Robert Mugabe yesterday set 10 June as the date for the by-elections to fill the seats lost by legislators from the Movement for Democratic Change Renewal Team after the MDC-Tsvangirai recalled the seats because the legislators were elected on an MDC-T ticket but had crossed the floor when they joined the United Movement for Democratic Change.

Although 21 legislators lost their seats only 14 seats are being contested. The other seven seats- three in the Lower House and four in the Senate- have already been bagged by the MDC-T as they are filled through proportional representation.

The by-elections will be held on the same date as those for Headlands and Hurungwe West which became vacant when the Zimbabwe Africa National Union- Patriotic Front expelled Didymus Mutasa and Temba Mliswa from the party.

The nomination date for the Headlands and Hurungwe West is 8 April while that for the 14 seats is 16 April.

Mutasa, Mliswa and the Renewal Team members have all challenged their expulsion from Parliament. Mutasa and Mliswa’s case will be heard by the Constitutional Court on 1 April.

The seatsleft vacant by the Renewal Team are for: Harare East, Kambuzuma, Kuwadzana, Glenview, Luveve, Dzivarasekwa, Mpopoma/Pelandaba, Highfield West, Pumula, Lobengula, Tsholotsho, Mbizo, Makokoba and Chikanga/Dangamvura.

All the major opposition parties have declared that they will not contest any elections until electoral reforms have been implemented.

ZANU-PF already has more than two-thirds majority in Parliament.

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