ZEC ready for by-elections
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has secured all voting materials required for Saturday’s by-elections that are being held to fill nine National Assembly and 12 local authority seats, which fell vacant following recent recalls of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) representatives.
Seventy-six candidates will contest the by-elections, with 30 standing in the National Assembly polls.
ZEC acting chief elections officer Mrs Jane Chigidji told The Sunday Mail that all contestants had been provided with a copy of the voters’ roll.
The elections management body, she said, had commenced mobile voter education in all the constituencies where by-elections will be held.
She said 266 150 ballot papers had been printed for the National Assembly by-elections, while an additional 99 150 ballots have been prepared for the local authority polls.
“Preparations for the conduct of the December 9, 2023 by-elections are well on course,” she said.
“Training of constituency election officers has been completed, while training of ward election officers, presiding officers, polling officers and election agents was scheduled to start on November 30, 2023.
“Training of voter education officers and their deployment was scheduled for November 28 and 30.
“The mobile voter education programme will run for five days, from December 1 to December 5.
“Contesting candidates were given their voters’ rolls.
“In terms of material requirements, the commission has adequate human and material resources for the conduct of these by-elections.”
Mrs Chigidji said 514 polling stations will be set up for the elections.
“A total of nine National Assembly and 12 local authority by-elections will be held on December 9, 2023,” she added.
“Thirty candidates will contest for parliamentary seats, while 46 candidates will contest for local authority seats. The by-elections voters’ rolls will be displayed at polling stations from this Thursday to allow voters to ascertain their correct polling stations before voting day.”
The National Assembly by-elections will be held in Beitbridge West, Binga North, Bulawayo South, Cowdray Park, Lobengula- Magwegwe, Lupane East, Mabvuku-Tafara, Mpopoma-Mzilikazi and Nketa constituencies. The vacant seats were occasioned by recalls of legislators and councillors by CCC interim secretary-general Mr Sengezo Tshabangu.