Zimbabwe bill to scrap presidential elections sparks backlash
Key takeaways
- Supporters call the bill a governance reform, while opponents see a turning point for Zimbabwe's political future.
- xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo.
- “I just cannot believe that these are the people who want to elect a president on behalf of everyone,” Barnabas Gura, a 38-year-old from Harare’s Glen View suburb, told Al Jazeera.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Supporters call the bill a governance reform, while opponents see a turning point for Zimbabwe's political future.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo. The amendment has divided Zimbabweans, with supporters and opponents offering starkly different visions of the country's future. [MUNASHE CHOKODZA/EPA]By Farai Matiashe Published On 19 Jun 202619 Jun 2026Harare, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwean lawmakers have approved a bill that would replace direct presidential elections with a vote by parliament, a proposal that supporters say would promote policy continuity but that opponents fear could weaken democratic accountability and further entrench the ruling party’s grip on power.
“I just cannot believe that these are the people who want to elect a president on behalf of everyone,” Barnabas Gura, a 38-year-old from Harare’s Glen View suburb, told Al Jazeera.