Zimbabwe’s parliament has moved forward with a constitutional amendment bill that could extend presidential terms from five to seven years and allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030. Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi introduced the bill in the lower house, where the ruling ZANU-PF party holds a strong majority.

The proposal would also change how Zimbabwe elects its president, replacing direct popular voting with a system in which parliament chooses the head of state. The Associated Press reported that the bill has deepened political tensions, with critics arguing that such changes require wider public approval.

Political analysts expect the bill to pass because ZANU-PF controls two-thirds of the lower house and has strong influence in the upper house. The draft legislation follows earlier cabinet approval of reforms that would extend terms for the president, parliament and local authorities, according to the official bill text published by Veritas Zimbabwe.

Opposition has also emerged from former security and civil service figures. A group of retired generals and former officials publicly objected to the bill, while some war veterans and activists challenged it in the Constitutional Court. The court has reserved judgment as it considers the arguments.

Mnangagwa has led Zimbabwe since 2017, when longtime ruler Robert Mugabe was removed after a military intervention. ZANU-PF has governed the country since independence from Britain in 1980, making the proposed constitutional changes a major test of Zimbabwe’s political system and succession debate.

Source:Associated Press