Earliest election date is July 23, 2018 says Veritas

Veritas has said that the elections will be held between July 23 or August 21 2018 according to the new Constitution of Zimbabwe.

Veritas cites section 143(1), which states that Parliament is elected for a five-year term, which runs from the date on which the President-elect is sworn in and assumes office. Using this provision Veritas states that the President was sworn in on August 22, 2013, so the five-year term of Parliament ends at midnight on August 21, 2018. Veritas says that based on section 158 which deals with the timing of elections, the earliest date for polling is July 23, 2018.

Veritas writes that the President has the duty of setting the election date, but is guided by Section 38 of the Electoral Act which stipulates a maximum 84 days between proclamation and polling. Based on this provision Veritas sets April 30, 2018 as the earliest possible proclamation date for polling on July 23 with the latest proclamation date being July 9, 2018 for polling on August 21.