Date set for Senate poll

By Lance Guma
08 October 2005

The date for controversial senate elections has now been set for November 26. State radio made the announcement on Saturday. The 66-seat upper house will consist of 50 elected members with five drawn from each of the 10 provinces. 10 tribal chiefs selected by a government appointed chiefs assembly also make up the chamber. Robert Mugabe will select the remaining six seats for what he terms 'special interest groups'.
Nominations for these elections will be conducted on the 24th of October while the voter's roll will be closed on the 16th of the same month. Zanu PF, which secured a highly controversial parliamentary majority, railroaded the constitutional amendment bill number 17 under which an upper house in parliament was created. The opposition meanwhile has still not made a decision on whether they will participate in the elections.
They accuse Mugabe of trying to create a warehouse for geriatric politicians who have outlived their usefulness. Mugabe also announced November 26 as the date for the Gutu North parliamentary by-election. This follows the death of Retired Chief Air Marshal Josiah Tungamirai in August