(Bloomberg) — Zimbabwe’s ruling party secured a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly after wresting several seats from the opposition in weekend by-elections, giving it the power to amend the constitution and potentially extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa tenure beyond a second term.
The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front won six parliamentary seats, giving it 190 in the legislature, according to the nation’s electoral commission. The party had failed come up short of the 187-seat threshold needed for a two-thirds majority in last year’s national election.
Fissures in the Citizens Coalition for Change, the main opposition party, after the August vote led to the recall of several lawmakers and triggered by-elections, with a first round held in December last year.
Nelson Chamisa, who faced off against Mnangagwa in disputed 2018 and 2023 presidential ballots, quit as the CCC’s leader last month, saying it had been infiltrated. He has yet to say what he will do next and speculation is rife that he will start a new party.
Mnangagwa’s current term runs until 2028, and the existing constitution bars him from seeking reelection.
Read More: Zimbabwe Leader Sworn In for Second Term After Disputed Vote
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