Zimbabwe Senators Approve Constitutional Amendment Extending President Mnangagwa's Term

Harare, Zimbabwe – The Zimbabwean Senate has approved an amendment to the country's constitution, which postpones the presidential election while extending the term of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The bill is now awaiting the president's signature to become law officially. According to the voting results, 75 senators supported the proposal, while four opposed it. Some opposition members also joined the ruling party to support the change.

The new amendment states that the presidential election originally scheduled for 2028 will be moved to 2030, directly extending President Mnangagwa's term by an additional two years.

Additionally, the proposal changes the presidential election system, moving from a direct public vote to a system where legislators will elect the president. The term lengths for the president and parliament have also been increased from 5 years to 7 years.

Some opposition members and critics have stated that this step should have gone through a public referendum instead of being approved solely by parliament.

On the other hand, the president's supporters argue that parliament has the authority to make these changes, as the term limit still exists despite the extended time.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is 83 years old, has been in office since 2017, after the military supported the ousting of former president Robert Mugabe, who passed away in 2019.

The lower house of the Zimbabwean parliament also previously approved this proposal by a majority vote last week, bringing it closer to becoming official law.