Harare, Jun 1 (IANS): Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has proclaimed August 23 as the date for the 2023 harmonised elections, setting in motion a campaign season among political parties and aspiring candidates.

Mnangagwa on Wednesday made the proclamation under Statutory Instrument 85 of 2023 in which he also fixed June 21 as the date on which nomination courts would sit countrywide to accept applications by political parties and their candidates to take part in the polls.

The President was expected to announce the date on Monday (May 29) but he later postponed the announcement, Xinhua news agency reported.

More than 5.8 million people have registered to vote in the presidential, legislative and local authority elections, according to the news agency New Ziana.

The ruling ZANU-PF party has already held primary elections to choose candidates for the elections, while the two major opposition parties -- MDC-T and Citizens' Coalition for Change -- are yet to present theirs to the electorate.

Voters will choose the president, members of Parliament and councillors in the harmonised elections.

In the event that there is no outright winner in the presidential election, a run-off will be held on October 2.

According to the constitution, a presidential election run-off becomes necessary if the winner fails to garner more than 50 per cent of the vote.

Meanwhile, potential voters are inspecting voters rolls in their respective constituencies to see if their details were captured properly ahead of the elections after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) opened the rolls for inspection on Saturday. The inspections will end on Thursday.