Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared that 28 parliamentary by-elections postponed in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic will now be held on March 26.

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared that 28 parliamentary by-elections postponed in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic will now be held on March 26. The state electoral body told newsmen that local government by-elections would also be held on the same day as numerous seats have become vacant. Most had belonged to the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change, MDC party, led by Nelson Chamisa.

But dozens of his allies have been expelled from parliament, and more than 100 MDC councilors were recalled in 2020 after the Supreme Court declared that Chamisa was not the party’s legitimate leader following a legal wrangle with a splinter group. These by-elections are seen as an early test for general elections scheduled for mid-2023 as previous national elections have been marred by allegations of violence and electoral fraud.