The upcoming 10th Parliament of Zimbabwe will consist of two main political parties: the ruling ZANU PF and the primary opposition, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). The ZANU PF party holds the majority of seats in the Parliament, but they were not able to secure the required two-thirds majority.
The 2023 – 2028 National Assembly will be constituted as follows:
- A). ZANUPF: 176 MPs
- 1.a). 136 direct election.
- 1.b). 33 women’s quota.
- 1.c). 7 youth quota.
- B). CCC: 103 MPs.
- 2.a). 73 direct.
- 2.b). 27 women’s quota.
- 2.c). 3 youth quota.
The 2023 – 2028 Senate will be constituted as follows:
- ZANUPF: 33.
- CCC: 27.
- 18 Chiefs.
- 2 representing People With Disabilities.
Missing National Assembly Constituency:
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) postponed the Gutu West constituency election, which was originally scheduled to be held alongside the harmonised polls on August 23, 2023. This decision was made due to the death of one of the candidates, Mr. Christopher Mutonhori Rwodzi, in a road accident that occurred after the nominations had closed.
This postponement is a standard procedure to allow for the nomination of an alternative candidate by those who had originally nominated the deceased candidate. Essentially, this converts the election into a by-election solely for that constituency.
The announcement of the postponement was made by Mr. Utloile Silaigwana, the chief elections officer of ZEC, through a notice published in the Government Gazette. According to the notice, a nomination court will be established at a later date, as advised by the Commission, to solicit fresh nominations for the election of a member of Parliament in the aforementioned constituency.
The Electoral Act mandates ZEC to defer a constituency election in the event of a candidate’s death between the nomination and the polling period, or even during the voting process itself. In such cases, all proceedings related to that election are deemed null and void, and the election process must start anew, following the same procedures as if a vacancy had occurred.
The candidates who were already duly nominated for the Gutu West Constituency do not require fresh nominations. These are John Paradza from ZANU PF and Mr Ephraim Murudu of CCC. However, the surviving candidates or their representatives must inform the constituency elections officer in writing of their intention to remain in the running.
MDC Missing:
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) failed to secure any Parliamentary seats for the first time in 23 years. Since its establishment in 1999, the MDC has been the primary opposition party in the country. But under the leadership of former Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe and later Senator Douglas Mwonzora, the party faced criticism for allegedly collaborating with the ruling party, leading to a decline in its popularity. This accusation tarnished the party’s reputation and affected its support among the people.
Furthermore, the MDC has been grappling with a leadership crisis since 2018, which intensified following the passing of its founding leader, Morgan Tsvangirai. These internal struggles have hindered the party’s ability to effectively navigate the political landscape, contributing to its recent electoral defeat.