Elections in Zimbabwe
Encyclopedia
The Zimbabwe government consists of an elected head of state
, the president
, and a legislature
. The presidential term lasts for 6 years. Parliament is bicameral
, consisting of the House of Assembly
and Senate. The House of assembly has 210 members 200 elected for five-year terms by single-member constituencies and 10 are appointed governor
s. The Senate
has 66 members: 50 are elected for five-year terms by single-member constituencies, six are appointed, and 10 are elected chiefs.
Zimbabwe is a one party dominant state; the dominant party being the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front
. Opposition
parties
are permitted, including the MDC-T led by Morgan Tsvangirai
and the MDC-M led by Welshman Ncube
, both formations of the original Movement for Democratic Change created in 1999. Recent elections (March 2008) have witnessed former ruling party finance minister Simba Makoni
standing as an independent presidential candidate.
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
, the president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
, and a legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
. The presidential term lasts for 6 years. Parliament is bicameral
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
, consisting of the House of Assembly
House of Assembly of Zimbabwe
The House of Assembly of Zimbabwe is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It was the unicameral legislative body from 1989 until late November 2005, when the Senate was re-introduced....
and Senate. The House of assembly has 210 members 200 elected for five-year terms by single-member constituencies and 10 are appointed governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
s. The Senate
Senate of Zimbabwe
The Senate of Zimbabwe is the upper chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It existed from 1980 to 1989, and was re-introduced in November 2005....
has 66 members: 50 are elected for five-year terms by single-member constituencies, six are appointed, and 10 are elected chiefs.
Zimbabwe is a one party dominant state; the dominant party being the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front
Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front
The Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front has been the ruling party in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe, first as Prime Minister with the party simply known as ZANU, and then as President from 1988 after taking over ZAPU and retaining the name ZANU-PF...
. Opposition
Opposition (politics)
In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country...
parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
are permitted, including the MDC-T led by Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. He is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai and a key figure in the opposition to President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe on 11 February 2009...
and the MDC-M led by Welshman Ncube
Welshman Ncube
Welshman Ncube is a Zimbabwean politician. He is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara, and since February 2009 has been the Minister of Industry and Commerce. He was elected as a member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe for Bulawayo North East in the 2000 election and...
, both formations of the original Movement for Democratic Change created in 1999. Recent elections (March 2008) have witnessed former ruling party finance minister Simba Makoni
Simba Makoni
Simbarashe Herbert Stanley Makoni is a Zimbabwean politician and was a candidate for the March 2008 presidential election against incumbent Robert Mugabe. He was Minister of Finance and Economic Development in President Robert Mugabe's cabinet from 2000 to 2002...
standing as an independent presidential candidate.
1980
- Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 1980Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 1980General elections were held in Southern Rhodesia in February 1980 in order to elect a government which would govern the country after it was granted independence as Zimbabwe, in accordance with the conclusions of the Lancaster House Agreement...
: The Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic FrontZimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic FrontThe Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front has been the ruling party in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe, first as Prime Minister with the party simply known as ZANU, and then as President from 1988 after taking over ZAPU and retaining the name ZANU-PF...
won a majority, and Robert MugabeRobert MugabeRobert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
became the first Prime Minister of ZimbabwePrime Minister of ZimbabweThe Prime Minister of Zimbabwe is the head of government in Zimbabwe. From 1980 to 1987, Robert Mugabe was the first person to hold the position following independence from the United Kingdom. He took office when Rhodesia became the Republic of Zimbabwe on 18 April 1980...
.
1985
- Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 1985: Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic FrontZimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic FrontThe Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front has been the ruling party in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe, first as Prime Minister with the party simply known as ZANU, and then as President from 1988 after taking over ZAPU and retaining the name ZANU-PF...
increased its majority.
1990
- Zimbabwean presidential election, 1990Zimbabwean presidential election, 1990A presidential election was held in Zimbabwe on 23 March 1990 alongside simultaneous parliamentary elections. It was the first time that the president had been popularly elected, following the creation of an executive presidency in 1987. The election was contested by the incumbent Robert Mugabe,...
(28-30 March)- Robert MugabeRobert MugabeRobert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
— Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic FrontZimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic FrontThe Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front has been the ruling party in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe, first as Prime Minister with the party simply known as ZANU, and then as President from 1988 after taking over ZAPU and retaining the name ZANU-PF...
2,026,976 (83.0%) - Edgar TekereEdgar TekereEdgar Zivanai Tekere was a Zimbabwean politician. He was a president of the Zimbabwe African National Union who organised the party during the Lancaster House talks and served in government before his popularity as a potential rival to Robert Mugabe caused their...
— Zimbabwe Unity Movement 413,840 (17.0%)
- Robert Mugabe
1995
- Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 1995Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 1995The Zimbabwe Parliamentary election of 1995 was held on April 8-9 to elect members to the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. The ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front won an overwhelming majority of the seats . There were 120 constituencies but 55 members were returned...
(8-9 April)- Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic FrontZimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic FrontThe Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front has been the ruling party in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe, first as Prime Minister with the party simply known as ZANU, and then as President from 1988 after taking over ZAPU and retaining the name ZANU-PF...
1,143,349 (81.4%) - Zimbabwe African National Union - NdongaZimbabwe African National Union - NdongaZimbabwe African National Union – Ndonga is a small political party in Zimbabwe.The Zimbabwe African National Union was a political party during the struggle for Rhodesia's independence, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union...
97,470 (6.9%) - Forum Party of Zimbabwe 84,219 (Forum Party of Zimbabwe (FPZ) 84,219 (6.0%)
- IndependentsIndependent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
70,818 (5.0%) - Zimbabwe Congress Party 3,779 (0.3%)
- Zimbabwe Federal Party 3,381 (0.2%)
- Zimbabwe Aristocrats 1,571 (0.1%)
- African National Party 431 (0.0%)
- Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front
1996
- Zimbabwean presidential election, 1996Zimbabwean presidential election, 1996A presidential election was held in Zimbabwe on 16 and 17 March 1996. The election was contested by the incumbent Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe Rhodesia-era Prime Minister Abel Muzorewa, and ZANU-Ndonga leader Ndabaningi Sithole...
(16-17 March)- Robert MugabeRobert MugabeRobert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
— Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic FrontZimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic FrontThe Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front has been the ruling party in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe, first as Prime Minister with the party simply known as ZANU, and then as President from 1988 after taking over ZAPU and retaining the name ZANU-PF...
1,404,501 (92.7%) - Abel MuzorewaAbel MuzorewaBishop Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia from the Internal Settlement to the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979...
— United Party 72,600 (4.8%) - Ndabaningi SitholeNdabaningi SitholeNdabaningi Sithole founded the Zimbabwe African National Union, a militant organization that opposed the government of Rhodesia, in July 1963. A member of the Ndau ethnic group, he also worked as a Methodist minister. He spent 10 years in prison after the government banned ZANU...
— Zimbabwe African National Union - NdongaZimbabwe African National Union - NdongaZimbabwe African National Union – Ndonga is a small political party in Zimbabwe.The Zimbabwe African National Union was a political party during the struggle for Rhodesia's independence, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union...
36,960 (2.4%)
- Robert Mugabe
- Sithole and Muzorewa withdrew during the week before balloting, but their names remained on the ballot and both received votes
2000
- Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 2000 (24-25 June)
- Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic FrontZimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic FrontThe Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front has been the ruling party in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe, first as Prime Minister with the party simply known as ZANU, and then as President from 1988 after taking over ZAPU and retaining the name ZANU-PF...
1,212,302 (48.6%) - Movement for Democratic Change 1,171,051 (47.0%)
- Zimbabwe African National Union - NdongaZimbabwe African National Union - NdongaZimbabwe African National Union – Ndonga is a small political party in Zimbabwe.The Zimbabwe African National Union was a political party during the struggle for Rhodesia's independence, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union...
17,629 (0.7%) - Others 92,943 (3.7%)
- Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front
2002
- Zimbabwean presidential election, 2002Zimbabwean presidential election, 2002A presidential election was held in Zimbabwe between 9 and 11 March 2002. The election was contested by the incumbent Robert Mugabe, Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai, ZANU-Ndonga leader Wilson Kumbula, Shakespeare Maya of the National Alliance for Good Governance and...
(9-11 March)
Parliament
- Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 2005
2008
- Zimbabwean presidentialZimbabwean presidential election, 2008The Republic of Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election on 29 March 2008. The three major candidates were incumbent President Robert Mugabe of the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front , Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change , and...
and parliamentary and SenateZimbabwean parliamentary election, 2008A parliamentary election was held in Zimbabwe on March 29, 2008 to elect members to both the House of Assembly and the Senate of the Zimbabwean parliament...
elections (29 March)
Referendums
On 12–13 February 2000, there was a constitutional referendum for increased powers to president; these were to permit the government to confiscate without compensation white-owned land for the purpose of redistribution to black farmers, and to give government officials immunity from prosecution.- "Yes" Votes 45.32%
- "No" Votes 54.68%