HARARE – Zimbabwe’s Electoral Court will on Monday begin hearing the first batch of election petitions filed by candidates of both the ruling ZANU PF and opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) parties challenging results in a total 105 constituencies.

The court that had additional judges allocated to it to help quicken handling of petitions will hear the applications until Friday with a possibility that that the hearings could stretch into the weekend as Zimbabwe’s election crisis shows little sign it will end anytime soon.

Harare lawyer Alec Muchadehama, among a team of lawyers representing MDC candidates, said his law firm would be handling about 10 opposition petitions this week.

"The first batch of the cases will be heard on Monday," said Muchadehama. He added, "Our law firm is handling 10 cases which will be heard on Monday, but there are several other cases which will be heard this week.”

According to the Electoral Court law, the petitions are supposed to be heard within a period of six months.

High Court Judge President Rita Makarau two weeks ago told a meeting of judges and lawyers involved in the electoral petitions that she wanted the cases heard within the six months period prescribed under the law.

Fifty-three ZANU PF candidates and 52 MDC candidates are challenging the outcome of elections in their respective constituencies and want the court to set aside the results.

The court can order the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to hold fresh polls in some or all of the disputed constituencies, a development that could see ZANU PF regain control of Parliament if it wins most of the constituencies where new elections are held.

ZANU PF lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since Zimbabwe’s 1980 independence from Britain when it won 97 seats against 109 garnered by the MDC in the March 29 polls. – ZimOnline.