Zimbabwe sets March referendum, July elections

Agence France-Presse

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

(UPDATED) The March referendum will set the stage for a presidential and legislative election that will be held in July

STRONGMAN. Zimbabwe president and leader of Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) Robert Mugabe delivers a speech at his party's annual national conference in Gweru, on December 7, 2012. AFP/PHOTO JEKESAI NJIKIZANA

HARARE, Zimbabwe (UPDATED) – Zimbabwe’s prime minister announced Wednesday, February 13, that the country will hold a constitutional referendum in March followed by elections in July, a timetable that will decide the fate of veteran President Robert Mugabe.

“There will be a referendum in March,” said Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe’s rival in the power sharing government.

Douglas Mwonzora, a spokesman for Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change, told AFP the referendum will be held on March 16.

Zimbabweans will be asked to vote on a basic law that would, for the first time, set presidential term limits and abolish the head of state’s immunity.

It would also set the stage for a presidential and legislative election that will be held in July, according to Tsvangirai.

 

Then, Zimbabweans will face a choice between Tsvangirai and Mugabe, who entered an uneasy coalition government after bloody 2008 elections.

 

A victory for the 88-year-old Mugabe would extend his 32 years in power, a reign that in the last decade has been pocked by economic meltdown and serious rights violations. – Rappler.com

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!