# Zimbabwe’s Parliament has approved a controversial amendment bill to the Constitution that will extend the tenure of presidents from five to seven years. The proposal was backed by 216 lawmakers, while 42 opposed. The bill will now go to the Senate, and if passed, will be signed into law by president Emmerson Mnangagwa, extending his rule by two years. The bill also proposes shifting presidential elections from direct popular vote to selection by lawmakers. The 83-year-old came to power in 2017 after the ousting of the late Robert Mugabe.
Zimbabwe’s Parliament passes bill to extend presidential terms from five to seven years