By NAKUBIANA  SHABONGO

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THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has set August 19 as the date for the Mangango parliamentary by-election.
The Mangango seat fell vacant following the nullification of the election of the MMD’s Robert Chiseke by the High Court, which decision was upheld on May 19 by the Supreme Court after he appealed.
Filing of nominations will take place at the Kaoma Civic Centre on July 10, while aspiring candidates are required to pay K500 non-refundable nomination fee.
ECZ public relations manager Crispin Akufuna, who announced the date, said the commission would also hold local government by-elections in 20 wards on the same day.
Mr Akufuna said in a statement that the vacancies in the local government wards had arisen following deaths and convictions of councillors.
The local government by elections are spread across wards in Central, Copperbelt, Luapula, Southern and Western provinces.
Meanwhile, the ECZ will next month embark on a delimitation of polling districts throughout the country in a bid to reduce distances between polling stations.
Mr Akufuna said the 2014 delimitation exercise will result in the 20 per cent increase of polling stations while also realigning electoral boundaries for all new districts that have been established since September 2011.
‘‘The 2014 delimitation exercise, which will be undertaken in consultation with stakeholders at district level will also review the existing polling districts and ensure that all polling stations are located within boundaries of voters’ respective polling districts,’’ he said.
The commission has since deployed Geographic Information System (GIS) officers in all districts to collect the preliminary data required for the delimitation exercise.