1 Jun 2013

Election in Zimbabwe ordered by end of July

10:05 am on 1 June 2013

Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court has ordered President Robert Mugabe to hold elections before the end of July.

The judge was ruling on an application to the court by a Zimbabwean activist demanding that Mr Mugabe set an election date before the current term of parliament expires next month.

The elections should take place no later than 31st July 2013," Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku said on Friday in a ruling supported by six other judges,

Mr Mugabe, who has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980, is to face Morgan Tsvangirai again in the vote.

Mr Tsvangirai has been arguing that fresh elections should be delayed. He says that would allow for the opening up of broadcast media, registration of new voters and reform of the military to ensure it stays out of politics.