Zimbabwe MPs pass bill to extend presidential terms and end direct elections

Zimbabwe's lower house of parliament has passed a constitutional bill that would extend presidential terms from five years to seven and end direct presidential elections. If enacted, the changes would allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in power until 2030. The legislation now moves to the senate, where it is also expected to pass before being signed into law.

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Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda announced that 216 lawmakers backed the bill, comfortably above the 187 votes needed for a two-thirds majority to amend the constitution. Forty-two MPs voted against it. The draft law also changes the way presidents are chosen, with future heads of state selected by parliament rather than by voters in a direct election.

The vote marks a major step in a long-running effort by the ruling Zanu-PF party to alter the constitutional framework. The party has governed Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, and cabinet backed the plan in February. Mnangagwa, 83, came to power in 2017 after the military-backed removal of Robert Mugabe and later won disputed elections in 2018 and 2023.

The latest move has intensified debate over democratic accountability and the balance between continuity and constitutional limits. The proposed changes are politically significant because Zimbabwe's 2013 constitution limited presidents to two terms and said any extension of term limits should be approved by voters in a referendum. Opposition parties, civil society groups and constitutional lawyers have argued that such a fundamental change should also go to a national vote rather than being decided only in parliament.

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Supporters of the bill say the changes would provide stability and continuity, while critics warn they could weaken checks on executive power. The issue has also been shaped by recent legal and political developments. On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court dismissed a challenge aimed at blocking the bill, clearing the way for Thursday's vote in the lower house.

Mnangagwa had previously described himself as a constitutionalist and pledged to respect term limits, making the current push a notable shift in the country's political direction. What happens next will depend on the senate's handling of the bill and the president's final approval. It remains unclear whether opponents will pursue further legal or political challenges, including renewed calls for a referendum.

The outcome will be closely watched for its implications for Zimbabwe's constitutional order and the future of presidential succession.

#Zimbabwe #EmmersonMnangagwa #ZanuPF #parliament #constitution

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