Harare — THE sitting of Nomination Courts will be pushed forward by a week following requests by Zanu-PF and both factions of the MDC to President Mugabe to allow them more time to complete the selection of candidates.

The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Cde Patrick Chinamasa, said President Mugabe will push the sitting of the Nomination Courts to next Friday but reiterated that election date remains March 29. The courts were scheduled to sit this Friday to receive nominations of candidates for the March 29 presidential, parliamentary and council elections.

Cde Chinamasa said the parties had also requested that the Electoral Act be further amended with reference to provisions dealing with requirements for candidates seeking council seats.

He said two statutory instruments effecting the changes were expected to be gazetted today.

Cde Chinamasa said the parties wanted the production of clearance certificates by prospective council candidates to prove that they had no rate arrears to be scrapped.

"The use of Presidential powers is coming at the request by both MDC formations and Zanu-PF who felt that there was need to remove these bottlenecks.

"The election date will remain since the amendments of the Nomination Court days are within the period prescribed by the Electoral Act," Cde Chinamasa said last night. Independent MP Professor Jonathan Moyo and former opposition leader Mrs Margaret Dongo had yesterday filed an urgent application with the High Court seeking a postponement of the Nomination Court sitting from February 8 to a "more reasonable date".

But the application will now fall away. The two had said postponement would give candidates contesting in the harmonised March elections enough time to prepare.

In their application Prof Moyo, the MP for Tsholotsho and former Information Minister, and Mrs Dongo -- formerly leader of the Zimbabwe Union of Democrats -- were claiming that the date for the nomination process was determined and made available to the public before the final delimitation report had been published contrary to principles of fair electoral practice.

Zanu-PF and MDC were yesterday battling to finalise selection of candidates ahead of this Friday.

MDC officials and supporters were by last night holed up at their Harvest House headquarters selecting candidates.

Zanu-PF, which had indicated that final results of its primary elections would be released yesterday, was by last night still to complete the process.

The Zanu-PF national election directorate met last night to consider complaints raised by party supporters.

The complaints ranged from imposition of candidates to the manner in which the quota system was being implemented.

Secretary for the commissariat Cde Elliot Manyika said the ruling party's national election directorate had not yet completed deliberations.

He said the national election directorate would meet again this morning.

Cde Manyika added that the primaries were cumbersome but was hopeful they would be completed in time for nomination. However, results from provinces continued to trickle in while polls in some constituencies have been stalled to allow the party leadership to attend to complaints raised by some party supporters. Preliminary results obtained by The Herald have so far indicated that at least four ministers had lost to minnows in the primary polls.

These are Agriculture Minister Cde Rugare Gumbo, his deputy Cde David Chapfika, Minister of Education and Culture Cde Aeneas Chigwedere and Deputy Minister of Small to Medium Enterprises Cde Kenneth Mutiwekuziwa. Cde Gumbo lost to former journalist Cde Makhosini Hlogwane while Cde Chapfika was outpolled by former Deputy Home Affairs Minister Cde Marble Chinomona.

Finance Minister Cde Samuel Mumbengegwi shrugged off a challenge from former Masvingo governor Cde Josiah Hungwe's in the Chivi Senate primary elections. In Mashonaland East Defence Minister Cde Sydney Sekeramayi will represent Zanu-PF in the Marondera-Wedza Senate seat after he was unopposed while Cde Uriah Kabayanjiri was also unopposed in the Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe-Mudzi Senate seat.

Zanu-PF Women's League commissar Cde Tracy Mutinhiri won in Marondera East while Cde Ambrose Mutinhiri was unopposed in Marondera West as were Cdes Joel Biggie Matiza (Murehwa South), Dr David Parirenyatwa (Murehwa North) Lillian Zemura (Murehwa West), Olivia Muchena (Mutoko South), Aguilina Katsande (Mudzi North) and Eric Navaya (Mudzi South).

Masvingo province results

Bikita South

Wilson Makonya 2 093

Shylet Uyoyo 1 711

Bikita West

Elias Musakwa 6673

Rtd Col Claudius Makova 783

Bikita East

Walter Mutsauri 2 256

Kennedy Matimba 1 548

Bikita Senate

Cecilia Chabaya 10 374

Anna Rungani 3 518

Masvingo Urban

Joosbi Omar 2 648

Shamiso Chiturumani 223

Winnie Sihlahla 147

Masvingo Central

Edmund Mhere 2 741

Eddison Zvobgo (Jnr) 2 486

Masvingo North

Stan Mudenge 1 421

Jacob Chademana 1 376

Thomas Ziki 92

Masvingo Senate

Results were not yet available by 5pm yesterday

(Dzikamai Mavhaire and Maina Mandava)

Zaka East

Mukanduru (first name unknown) 2 675

Rtd Maj Alex Mudavanhu 64

Zaka Central

Nyaradzo Tachiona 1 801

Juliet Jaricha 708

Marble Mawere 241

Zaka North

Boniface Chivore 1 564

Rtd Brig-Gen Livingstone Chineka 769

Zaka Senate

Rtd Lt-Gen Amos Chimombe 6 316

Jefta Chindanya 3147

Zaka West

Faith Makonese 1 029

Bella Mawere 704

Chivi North

Tranos Huruva 2 348

Clifford Mumbengegwi 1 169

Enita Maviriri 277

Chivi Central

Paul Mangwana 4 062

Wellington Makuvire 2 634

Charles Majange 332

Chivi South

Irvine Dzingirai 1 789

Mafios Muteti 1 739

Chivi-Mwenezi Senate

Samuel Mumbengegwi 10 107

Josiah Hungwe 9 648

Mwenezi East

Kudakwashe Bhasikiti 2793

Cletos Muchara 214

Isaiah Shumba 48

Mwenezi West

Neddy Masukume unopposed

Gutu North

F Machinya 1 529

Nelson Mawema 1 476

Gutu East

Bertha Chikwama 4 768

Henrietta Rushwaya 2 385

Gutu South

Shuvai Mahofa unopposed

Gutu West

Rtd Col J. Masanganise 1150

N. Mandebvu 692

Gutu Central

Lovemore Matuke unopposed

Gutu Senate

Rtd Gen Vitalis Zvinavashe unopposed

Chiredzi North

Ronald Ndava 5 162

Kingsley Kanda 828

Patrick Sithole 600

Chiredzi East

Alginia Mhlanga 787

Mavis Dhemba 758

Celin Pote 489

Rumbidzai Baloyi 453

Chiredzi South

Ailes Baloyi 1 169

Killian Gwanetsa 1 167

Chiredzi Senate

Titus Maluleke 7 803

Ben Baloyi 4 615

Henry Pote 576