The election filing fees, denominated in U.S. dollars, are a 20-fold increase from fees charged in the previous elections in 2018.
During a debate on Wednesday, ruling ZANU-PF parliamentarians said the policy would ensure that only strong candidates run for office. They secured parliament's approval of the measure after the Constitutional Court ruled last week that lawmakers must debate it.
The opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) said the measure would undermine the right to stand for office, and had sought to reduce the fees in time for the 21 June registration deadline.
ZANU-PF party candidate President Emmerson Mnangagwa, elected in 2018 after a coup that deposed Robert Mugabe the previous year, will be seeking a second term in office. The 80-year-old's main rival is lawyer and pastor Nelson Chamisa, 45, who leads the newly formed CCC.
During a debate on Wednesday, ZANU-PF parliamentarians said the policy would ensure that only strong candidates run for office. They secured parliament's approval of the measure after the Constitutional Court ruled last week that lawmakers must debate it.
Zimbabwe will hold its presidential and parliamentary elections on Aug. 23, while it is battling a raging economic crisis.
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