HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A constitutional amendment proposal was presented to Zimbabwe’s Parliament on Tuesday by the nation’s justice minister, seeking to prolong the presidency of the 83-year-old leader and change the electoral system from direct public voting to legislative appointment.
The legislation would postpone upcoming 2028 elections by two years and keep President Emmerson Mnangagwa in office until 2030. Additionally, it would increase the duration of terms for the president, MPs, councilors and mayors from five years to seven years.
The proposal has intensified political discord in a nation where government opponents frequently face detention or intimidation.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi stated last week that he plans to finish the legislative procedures and secure Parliamentary approval by June’s conclusion, allowing Mnangagwa to enact the law afterward.
Mnangagwa has held office since 2017 after the widely-supported military-assisted removal of his former mentor and long-serving leader, Robert Mugabe, who passed away in 2019.
The governing ZANU-PF party maintains a Parliamentary majority and has developed positive relationships with a segment of the divided opposition.
Opponents maintain that lengthening presidential terms necessitates a public referendum. Advocates respond that Parliament has authority to approve these modifications since the two-term restriction would stay intact, despite each term becoming longer. Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court has not yet decided on multiple legal challenges against the proposal.
