Zimbabwe's Senate approves bill to delay the presidential election and overhaul the vote

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe ’s Senate on Wednesday approved constitutional amendments that would remove direct presidential elections, delay the next one and extend the tenure of the country’s 83-year-old leader, whose signature is the final step for them to become law.

Seventy-five senators voted in favor of the bill that would postpone elections scheduled for 2028 to 2030 and extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term by two years. Four senators opposed the measure, with some lawmakers from the fractured opposition joining ruling party colleagues in backing the changes.

The bill overhauls the way presidents are chosen, replacing direct popular elections with selection by lawmakers. It also extends the terms of the president and members of parliament to seven years from five.

Critics, including human rights lawyers, activists and some opposition figures, argue that extending presidential terms requires approval through a referendum. Mnangagwa’s supporters counter that Parliament can enact the changes because the constitutional two-term limit would remain intact, even if each term is longer.

The proposed amendments have heightened political tensions in Zimbabwe. Critics of the bill have faced arrest and detention, while others have alleged harassment and intimidation. The southern African country’s courts are yet to rule on several legal challenges to the proposal.

Mnangagwa has been in power since 2017, when the military backed the ouster of his mentor and Zimbabwe's longtime ruler, Robert Mugabe, who died in 2019.

Although Mnangagwa, one of the world’s oldest leaders, previously said he would step down when his second term expires in 2028, his ruling ZANU-PF party has championed the amendments. Parliament at times has sat late into the night to push the legislation through. The lower house overwhelmingly voted for the bill last week.