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deadline for the gazetting of the election dates and the conducting of election to March next year.
The President had sought an extension of the deadline following a High Court order last month compelling him and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to publish election dates within 14 days and subsequently hold by-elections for the 16 House of Assembly, 11 senate and 164 local authority vacant seats.

Ms Fortune Chimbaru of the Civil Division in the Attorney-General’s Office filed an urgent chamber application for extension of the deadline at the High Court before the expiry of the 14-day ultimatum.

“It is ordered that the period within which to comply with the order granted in case number HC10133 of 2012 be and is hereby extended to March 31 2013 . . .” ruled Justice Chiweshe.

The extension will allow Zimbabwe to comply with the court order through holding harmonised elections slated for the same period.
The application, which was filed on Friday, came barely a week after the same court extended the by-election period for three constituencies in Matabeleland to March 31.

Also see

• President files urgent chamber application

• Elections: When the supposed draw card doubts

• ‘Polls: No one forced to contest’

In the founding affidavit deposed by Minister Chinamasa on behalf of the President, it was stated that the same court had already granted a related order in respect of Lupane East, Nkayi South and Bulilima.
The by-election for the three constituencies will be held together with the harmonised elections in March next year.

Minister Chinamasa said there were 16 vacancies in the House of Assembly, 11 in the Senate and 164 local authority seats countrywide and that the costs involved were too high considering harmonised elections were expected next March.

The process, he said, involved enormous resources and that the President was applying for the order to be covered by the harmonised election slated for end of March to cut costs.