Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed constitutional amendments into law that will abolish direct presidential elections and extend his tenure, according to a government notice issued Tuesday. Mnangagwa, 83, is one of the world's longest-serving leaders.
The amendments, pushed through Parliament by his ruling ZANU-PF party and some opposition lawmakers, postpone the next general election, originally scheduled for 2028, by two years. This effectively extends Mnangagwa's current term, which began in 2017 following the ouster of Robert Mugabe, until 2030. The terms for the president and members of Parliament have also been extended from five to seven years.
Critics, including human rights lawyers, civil society groups, opposition politicians, and some veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation war, argue that such significant changes to presidential terms require a national referendum. Supporters, however, contend that Parliament had the authority to pass the changes because the constitutional two-term limit remains intact, though each term is now longer.
The amendments have intensified political tensions in the southern African nation. In recent months, authorities have banned public gatherings, and some critics of the reforms have reported arrests, detentions, harassment, and intimidation. Legal challenges seeking to overturn the amendments are pending before Zimbabwe's courts.
Mnangagwa's ZANU-PF party previously saw Parliament approve the amendments in June. The changes mark another instance of an African nation amending its constitution to allow an incumbent leader to remain in power longer.