By Dickson Bandera
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has set 23 August 2023 as the date for Zimbabwe presidential, parliamentary and council elections.
The much-awaited election date, nomination court date as well as centres for the electoral courts were released under Statutory Instrument 85 of 2023, setting in motion a campaign season among political parties and aspiring candidates.
The nomination court will sit on June 21 countrywide to register candidates, while the date for a runoff in case of failure to have an outright presidential winner with more than 50%, will be the 2nd of October 2023.
The 2023 presidential election is expected to be a race between the incumbent, President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Advocate Nelson Chamisa.
The two candidates were again on the ballot in 2018 where president Mnangagwa emerged the winner with 50,8% against Chamisa’s 44,3%.
The ruling ZANU-PF party has already announced its candidates after holding successful primary elections in March 2023, but the newly formed CCC is yet to announce its candidates.
Analysts say CCC’s delay to announce its candidates is detrimental to its campaign as candidates are yet to start their campaigns while their rival Zanu-PF candidates are already on the ground campaigning.
According to the ZEC, more than 5.8 million people have registered to vote in the harmonized elections.
President Mnangagwa has promised a free and fair election and recently told diplomats, mostly drawn from Western nations, that the international community will be invited to observe the harmonized elections.
“As you are aware, Zimbabwe will be holding the 2023 Harmonized General Elections. I want to assure you all that my Government has put in place the requisite mechanisms to guarantee peaceful, free, fair, and credible elections. International observers are welcome and will be invited through the relevant channels at the appropriate time in accordance with our laws,” President Mnangagwa said.
