Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe signs into law the Zimbabwe draft constitution in Harare on May 22 2013. By Jekesai Njikizana (AFP/File)
HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court on Friday ordered President Robert Mugabe to set a date for crucial elections, which will end an uneasy power-sharing government, before the end of July.Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku ordered the 89-year-old Mugabe to "proclaim as soon as possible a date for the holding of presidential elections, general elections and elections of members of governing bodies of local authorities"He added that the vote should take place "no later than the 31st of July 2013."The case was brought by a freelance journalist Jealous Mawarire who asked the court to compel Mugabe to announce election dates before the tenure of the current parliament ends on June 29.The law allows elections to be held up to four months after the dissolution of parliament.But Mawarire said delaying elections by four months after parliament is dissolved went against the tenets of democracy.He said the dissolution of parliament should be immediately followed by elections to avoid a situation where Mugabe would run the country single-handedly.Mugabe and his allies want elections as early as June but his powersharing partner and longtime political rival Morgan Tsvangirai wants reforms to ensure a free and fair vote before the poll is held.The court order comes just under two weeks after Mugabe signed Zimbabwe's new constitution into law allowing for application of a battery of reforms.But there are doubts that these can be implemented quickly enough to ensure a fair election.Under the new law, presidents will now be limited to two five-year terms and the post of prime minister will be scrapped when a new government is voted in.
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