The Senate of Zimbabwe has approved a long-term change of the President | Election News

The constitutional amendment will allow President Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030 and allow parliament to elect the president.

Zimbabwe’s Senate has approved a constitutional amendment that will allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030.

According to Senate President Mabel Chinomona, the controversial amendment was introduced on Wednesday after 75 senators voted and four voted against extending Mnangagwa’s term, 83.

A larger change, which critics have called a “Constitutional Coup”it includes a law extending the term of the president and parliament from five to seven years.

The law also has a provision that the president should be elected by the parliament and not by popular vote.

With the support of parliament, the bill must be signed by Mnangagwa to become law.

Mnangagwa’s Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party has the majority in parliament and has been in power since independence in 1980.

Last year, the ruling party proposed changing the constitution to extend the president’s term, and the plan was supported by the cabinet in February.

The law was then passed by Parliament last weekand 216 legislators voted in favor of the law and 42 opposed.

Mnangagwa came to power after a military coup in 2017 that ousted former leader Robert Mugabe, who had ruled since independence in 1980.

However, the country’s opposition parties, which have been weakened by years of repression, say this will give ZANU-PF power in the country.

Also, activists who have tried to mobilize people in the country have reported threats and violence, including arrests or beatings by suspected government agents.

Legal challenges have also failed to stop or prevent change.

In March, Human Rights Watch reported that Zimbabwean authorities are using violence and threats against people who oppose the reform.

“Over the past few months, the police and unknown armed men have been threatening, harassing, and beating a number of people who are opposing the proposed changes to the law,” it said.