The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has put a hold on filling potential parliamentary and council vacancies that could occur starting on 1 November 2022.
The suspension is permissible by the law, which states that positions that become vacant within nine months before the election cannot be filled.
In a statement ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said, “Section 158(3) of the Constitution provides that polling in by-elections shall take place within ninety days of the vacancies occurring unless the vacancies occur within nine months before a general election is due to be held.
“The last general election held in 2018 was held on the 31st July 2018. It is therefore anticipated from a reading of section 158(3) of the Constitution that general elections will be held on a date to be set during the month of either July or August 2023.
“Members of the public are thus notified that the filling of vacancies that occur on or after the 1st of November 2022 will be suspended pending the conduct of the 2023 general elections,” read the statement.
Both in councils and in parliaments, vacancies occur when the person in question dies or is summoned back by the political party that sponsored him or her.
The announcement follows the MDC-T’s led by Douglas Mwonzora recalled three councilors from Victoria. A letter from the local government ministry stating that the seats were vacated served as confirmation of the recalls.
In March 2022, the country held 28 legislators and 121 councilors after Mwonzora recalled members from his party he accused of supporting Nelson Chamisa.
Mwonzora has effected more recalls since then.
