The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has announced that the nomination court for the vacant Mount Pleasant and Harare East National Assembly constituencies will convene on March 26, 2024.
These two constituencies became vacant when former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislators, Fadzayi Mahere (Mt Pleasant) and Allan Markham (Harare East), voluntarily stepped down.
Mahere and Markham formally resigned in accordance with Section 129 (1) (b) of the Constitution.
They resigned in solidarity with former party leader Nelson Chamisa, who had also left the CCC.
In a recent statement, ZEC said the nomination court will sit on Tuesday next week.
On Tuesday 26th of March 2024, the nomination court for Harare East and Mount Pleasant National Assembly Constituencies will be receiving nomination papers. The nomination courts open from 10:00 hours to 16:00 hours.
Nomination papers can be submitted at any time soon after publication of the proclamation at the respective Harare Metropolitan Province Zec office during normal office hours.
On nomination day, that is, 26th of March 2024 nomination papers should be submitted at the respective nomination court sitting at the Magistrates Court, Rotten Row, Harare commencing at 10:00hours to 16:00hours.
The Commission urges candidates and political parties to take advantage of the window to submit nomination papers early so as to avoid inconveniences that result from non-reflection of funds on time and inadequate nominators, among others.
Markham was the second CCC Member of Parliament (MP) to resign after Fadzayi Mahere.
In the 2023 general elections, Markham received 15,642 votes, more than double the votes won by the ZANU PF candidate Mavis Gumbo (who received 7,621 votes).
It remains to be seen if Mahere and Markham will contest in the upcoming by-elections and which political party they will represent.
