Zimbabwe: President, 30 July 2018

At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Zimbabwe

Note on the results: No other candidate received more than 0.3% of the vote.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Emmerson MNANGAGWA*
• Head of Government: President Emmerson MNANGAGWA**
• Assembly: Zimbabwe has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate with 80 seats and the National Assembly with 270 seats.

* Former President Robert MUGABE was forced to resign in November 2017.

** The office of Prime Minister was abolished in 2013.  

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
• In the Senate, 60 members are elected by proportional representation at the provincial level to serve 5-year terms, 16 members are elected by regional governing councils to serve 5-year terms, 2 members are reserved for the President and Deputy President of the National Council of Chiefs to serve 5-year terms and 2 members are filled to represent persons with disabilities to serve 5-year terms*. In the National Assembly, 210 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms and 60 members are women elected by proportional representation at the provincial level to serve 5-year terms.**

* In the Senate, 60 Senators are elected on the basis of party-list proportional representation based upon the provincial returns of votes for parties fielding candidates in the National Assembly elections. The party lists alternate gender, with every list being led by a female candidate. An additional 16 Senators are Chiefs elected by 8 non-metropolitan provincial assemblies. 2 Senators are elected to represent persons with disabilities, and the final 2 Senate seats are designated for the President and Deputy President of the National Council of Chiefs.

** In the National Assembly, 60 seats are reserved for women. In each of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces, 6 women are elected by proportional representation based on the provincial return of votes for parties fielding candidates in the National Assembly's constituency elections.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:*

• Emmerson MNANGAGWA
  • ​Party: Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF)
• Nelson CHAMISA
  • Party: Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC)**
• Ambrose MUTINHIRI
  • Party: National Patriotic Front
• Thozokani KHUPE
  • Party: Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T Khupe Faction)
• Noah MANYIKA
  • Party: Build Zimbabwe Alliance
• Dumiso DABENGWA
  • Party: Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU)
• Elton Mangoma
  • Party: Coalition of Democrats (CODE)***
• Joice MUJURU
  • Party: People's Rainbow Coalition****
• Nkosana MOYO
  • Party: Alliance for the People's Agenda

* There are 23 candidates officially in the race.

** MDC Alliance is comprised of MDC-T, MDC, the Multi-Racial Christian Democratic Party, Zanu Ndonga, and factions of the People's Democratic Party, Transform Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe People First.

*** CODE is comprised of Zimbabweans United for Democracy, Democratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment, Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe, and Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn.

**** People's Rainbow Coalition is comprised of the National People's Party, the Democratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment, Zimbabweans United for Democracy, and a faction of the People's Democratic Party.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 14,546,961 (2016) 
• Registered Voters: 5,874,115 (2013)

Gender Data:

• Female Population: 7245396 (2016)
• Is Zimbabwe a signatory to CEDAW: No
• Has Zimbabwe ratified CEDAW: Yes (13 May 1991)
• Gender Quota: Yes
• Female candidates in this election: Yes
• Number of Female Parliamentarians: 63
• Human Development Index Position: 154 (2016)
• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Medium (2014)

Disability Data:

• Is Zimbabwe a signatory to CRPD: No
• Zimbabwe ratified CRPD: Yes (23 September 2013)
• Population with a disability: 397,226 (2012)