#2018ZimElections: Here's what you need to know

Women walk past Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) posters in Harare, Zimbabwe. Picture: Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters

Women walk past Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) posters in Harare, Zimbabwe. Picture: Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters

Published Jul 27, 2018

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Zimbabwe will hold its general elections on July 30, the first since the army forced 94-year-old former president Robert Mugabe to resign last November.

Here are 15 quick facts about the 2018 Zimbabwe elections:

* 10 985 polling stations open at 7am July 30 for 5.7 m voters 

* There are three simultaneous elections: president, parliament, local government - three ballot papers

* There are 55 political parties but the two main ones are Zanu PF and MDC Alliance

* The two main presidential candidates are Zanu PF's Emmerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa leader of the, MDC Alliance. 

* There are 23 presidential candidates, 1 652 parliamentary candidates and  6 516 local government candidates.

* Parliament has 210 seats 

* Zimbabweans can only vote at home; those outside, the diaspora cannot vote.

* The usual observers from SADC and AU will be there to monitor the elections and for the first time in 20 years there are hundreds of observers from the European Union, EU, the United States, the Commonwealth 

* The recently appointed Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) controls the elections.

A woman walks past election posters in Harare. Picture: Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters

* ZEC compiled a new voters roll from September 2017 using fingerprints, facial photographs and identity numbers.

* For the first time voters must vote at a specific polling station.

* For the first time in 18 years Robert Mugabe’s name is not on the ballot paper.

* There is less violence and less fear than at any election since 2000

* About 40 000 polling agents trained by EU and Norway will be on duty around the polling stations

* More then 130 000 personnel will be deployed for elections.

Independent Foreign Service

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Zimbabwe