Political Parties financing case to be heard on Tuesday

The case in which two opposition parties are seeking to bar President Emmerson Mnangagwa from announcing election dates until the Political Parties Finance Act is amended so that the government can fund all political parties will be heard on Tuesday.

The Zimbabwe Development Party led by Kisinoti Mukwazhi and the Voice of the People led by Moreprecision Muzadzi succeeded in getting the case to be treated as an urgent one.

They argue that the coming elections will never be free, fair and credible unless all political parties receive campaign funds from the government.

Presently only parties which got more than 5 percent of the vote in the last elections are entitled to funding which is dependent on the number of votes the party got.

According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission 112 political parties have so far registered to participate in the elections.

ZEC chair Priscillah Chigumba said vetting of which parties are serious will be done by the nomination court as, for example, anyone wishing to contest for president will be asked to pay $1 000.

Zimbabwe’s elections should be held in July or August according to the constitution and Mnangagwa has announced that he will abide by the constitution.

He has also pledged to hold free and fair elections.

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