Zimbabwe opposition fights presidential term extension in court

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

• Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC asked the constitutional court to overturn a law extending President Mnangagwa’s term by two years.
• The law extends presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, enabling Mnangagwa to stay until 2030.
• Another amendment gives parliament power to nominate the president, ending election by public vote introduced in 1987.

An opposition party in Zimbabwe on Thursday asked the country’s constitutional court to overturn a law that allows President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stay in power.

The 83-year-old head of state signed an amendment into law on Tuesday that extends his term in office by two years.

It has been passed by parliament, which is dominated by his Zanu-PF party.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said in the case it presented to the top court that the president is constitutionally bound to hold a referendum on the change and that, by not doing so, he had “failed to fulfil his constitutional obligation”.

The leader of the MDC asked the court to deem the changes unconstitutional and to either annul them or order the president to hold a public vote on the issue.

The changes extend the presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, enabling Mnangagwa to stay in power until 2030 – two years beyond his current mandate.

READ | Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa signs law extending his presidency to 2030

Another amendment gives parliament the power to nominate the president, ending election to the post by public vote, which was introduced in 1987, seven years after independence.

Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 after an army-backed coup toppled Robert Mugabe, who had been in power for 37 years.

The president was elected for two five-year terms in 2018 and 2023.

His supporters say the new law will bring “political stability and continuity,” but his critics believe that it will only reinforce Zanu-PF’s grip on power.

Zimbabwe’s opposition has been weakened by years of repression and elections riven with irregularities.