Zimbabwe’s president says elections to be in May or June
The president of Zimbabwe has said elections will be in May or June, as he faces pressure at home and abroad to deliver a credible vote to cement his legitimacy.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa took power from long-time ruler Robert Mugabe with the military’s help in November.
The state-run Herald newspaper quotes him as saying "Zimbabwe is going for elections in four to five months’ time" while on a visit to Mozambique.
That would be ahead of the timeframe stipulated in the constitution, which says elections should be between July 23 and August 21.
Mr Mnangagwa had hinted they could be held earlier.
According to Veritas, a legal think tank, the president can circumvent the constitutionally stipulated timeline only if Parliament dissolves itself, necessitating early polls.
The ruling ZANU-PF party has the majority in Parliament.
