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papers with political parties saying they would be ready before 10am.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chief elections officer Mr Lovemore Sekeramayi said everything was in place for the sitting of the Nomination Court.
He said candidates who meet the requirements would be accepted.
“ZEC is ready for the sitting of the Nomination Courts in all the provinces. All political parties have been informed of the requirements and the process will kick off at 10:00hrs at all the nomination court centres throughout the country.”
Nomination Courts would also accept papers from political parties for senators coming through proportional representation and women who would join the National Assembly through the 60 seats reserved for women.
Mr Sekeramayi said some political parties had submitted all their papers for scrutiny by ZEC during the pre-nomination phase while others were still to do so.
“We advise all candidates to file in their nomination papers early so that ZEC has adequate time to scrutinise them and if there is anything to be corrected, candidates will have ample time to correct their papers before the closure of the Nomination Courts,” he said.
ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau said independent candidates were also expected to submit their papers today and late-comers would have to wait for the next elections in five years time.
The Nomination Court for presidential candidates would sit in the High Court’s Court A at Mapondera Building in Harare.
Candidates for the National Assembly’s 210 seats would file their nominations at the Nomination Court sitting at magistrates’ courts in their provincial headquarters in Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Bindura, Marondera, Chinhoyi, Masvingo, Gwanda and the Midlands.
Those vying for constituencies in Matabeleland North would file their nominations at the magistrates’ courts in Bulawayo.
Prospective councillors would file their nominations at district offices in their areas. Provincial Assemblies of Chiefs will meet on July 12 in the country’s eight provinces covering rural areas to elect chiefs to the Council of Chiefs.
Political parties said they would meet the deadline.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo said all the party’s candidates would have filed their nomination papers today as required by ZEC.
“We successfully held our primary elections on Tuesday and Wednesday and today (yesterday) candidates were filing their nomination papers. By tomorrow morning a full list will be there before the nomination court sits,” he said.
“We are ready for the elections and as usual we are going to field candidates at all levels.”
MDC spokesperson Mr Kurauone Chihwayi said his party started filing their nomination papers on Wednesday and would field candidates in all positions.
“Our elections director was at the ZEC offices filing the nomination papers for the 210 National Assembly candidates and today (yesterday) she has filed papers for the party president (Welshman Ncube) and those who will represent us in the local government elections,” he said.
“Everything is on track and we are ready for the polls in all the constituencies.”
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora said they now had a full list of candidates who would file their papers at the nomination courts.
“Our selection process is complete and all outstanding areas, including Gweru have been dealt with,” he said.
“Yesterday (Wednesday) we filed papers for the national assembly candidates and we expect the party’s leader (Morgan Tsvangirai) and local authorities to have done so by the end of day today. It is something being sorted out.”
Other political parties vying for the presidency in the harmonised elections also said they were making frantic efforts to beat the deadline.
All presidential candidates should produce proof that they are Zimbabwean citizens and be above the age of 40 and should be nominated by 10 eligible voters from every province among other requirements.
Online Reporter