The United States Embassy Harare has urged the Zimbabwean government led by His Excellency Emmerson Mnangagwa to resume by-elections.
The embassy says long standing parliamentary vacancies have left over 745, 000 voters in 26 constituencies without elected representation.
“Only by-elections will restore these citizens’ rights to representation,” it said in a statement.
Electoral activities were suspended in March last year in response to the Covid-19 pandemic which by then had claimed one life in Zimbabwe.
ZEC said the suspension was part of precautionary measures to protect its employees and the general public from infection while most of the intended by-elections were necessitated by the recalls of opposition MDC MPs and councillors.
ZEC Chief Elections Officer, Utloile Silaigwana, confirmed the development.
“ZEC would like to announce that following the relaxation of lockdown measures of Statutory Instrument 10 of 2021 on March 1, 2021, the Commission will lift the suspension of voter registration and some field work announced on January 8, 2021. The resumption of those suspension activities will come into effect on April 1, 2021,” he said in a press statement