admindate the sitting President was sworn-in.
President Mugabe was sworn-in on June 29, 2008 after winning the run-off against MDC-T’s Morgan Tsvangirai. After the harmonised elections that have been scheduled for July 31, there would be changes in the make-up of Parliament while provincial and metropolitan councils would also be established in all provinces.
Chapter 6 of the new Constitution provides for the establishment of the Legislature.
The House of Assembly would be re-named the National Assembly while Senate would retain its name.
Summary of the Legislature and Provincial Councils
National Assembly
210 members elected by secret ballot from the 210 constituencies into which Zimbabwe is divided.
For the first two terms of Parliament after the new Constitution comes into force an additional 60 women members, six from each province, elected through a system of proportional representation based on the votes cast for candidates representing political parties in a general election for constituency (National Assembly) members in the provinces.
Senate
The Senate consists of 80 senators of whom:
Six are elected from each province by a system of proportional representation;
Sixteen are chiefs of whom two are elected by the provisional assembly of chiefs from each province except the metropolitan provinces of Harare and Bulawayo.
Two are President and Deputy President of the National Council of Chiefs.
The senators elected by a system of proportional representation must be elected under a party-list system which is based on the votes cast for candidates representing political parties in each of the provinces in the general election of members of the National Assembly and in which male and female candidates are listed alternately, every list starting with a woman.
Provincial Councils
Each province would have a provincial council made up of;
All persons who are members of parliament from that province
All mayors and chairpersons of the local authorities of that province
Ten persons elected on the basis of votes cast in the general election
Metropolitan Councils
Each metropolitan council is made up of ;
All persons who are members of parliament from that province
All mayors and deputy mayors and chairpersons of the local authorities of that province
Online Reporter