HARARE, Feb. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Zimbabwe opened a nomination court here on Friday as scheduled to receive nomination papers of aspiring parliamentarians for the March 31 poll.

    Turnout was huge, with candidates jostling to submit their papers at the start of proceedings in the morning.

    However, some of the candidates sent representatives to submit nomination papers on their behalf.

    Zimbabwe goes to the polls at the end of next month in elections to be conducted in accordance with Southern African Development Community principles and guidelines on democratic elections, including voting in one day, counting of ballots at polling centers and use of translucent boxes.

    Fifteen candidates from the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and an independent candidate filed their nomination papers as soon as the court opened in Harare.

    Nomination courts in other parts of the country were also accepting papers from other candidates.

    Proceedings in Harare started at 10 a.m. and were expected to end at 4 p.m.

    The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission convened the courts for the first time since it was set up to run all elections and referendums in the country, taking over from the Registrar General's office.

    The commission appointed 10 constituency election officers to receive nominations throughout the country.

    Notable among the early birds for nomination were ZANU-PF candidate Christopher Chigumba for Zengeza Constituency, MDC candidates Job Sikhala for St Marys and Nelson Chamisa for Kuwadzana.

    The Electoral Supervisory Commission, which will be monitoring the nomination courts, was quoted in the media as saying that for candidates to qualify they must be registered voters, had attainedthe age of 21 years and had been ordinary resident in Zimbabwe in the last five years.

    In addition, the candidate would be nominated by means of papers signed by at least 10 voters registered in their respectiveconstituency.

    The candidates, or their election agents, were expected to countersign the papers, which should also bear the signature of anofficer bearer if the candidate is representing a political party.

    In the event that only one candidate was nominated in a constituency, they shall be deemed to have been duly elected the member of parliament for that constituency. Enditem