20 IRI/NDI Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission Final Report the prosecutor-general and the commissioner general of police. For cases petitioning the results of the presidential elections, the Constitutional Court has exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate challenges to the presidential elections results. Zimbabwe has acceded to most major international and regional treaty standards for elections, including the African Union Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections. Electoral System The current electoral system is multi-party, relies on universal suffrage and equality of votes, and prescribes an orderly transfer of power following elections. Presidential, parliamentary, and local elections are harmonized and required (at least) every five years with the precise date set by the president. The presidency is decided through a direct vote, and the winning candidate must obtain 50 percent +1 of the valid votes cast. If no candidate achieves the requisite votes, a runoff election is held, contested by the two candidates with the highest number of votes in the first round. The president is elected to serve a five-year term and is eligible for reelection for a second five-year term. Zimbabwe has a bicameral Parliament (National Assembly and Senate). The National Assembly/ Lower House consists of 270 members of Parliament (MPs). Of these, 210 MPs are elected directly in single-member constituencies through a first-past-the-post system. The remaining 60 seats in the National Assembly comprise a quota for women who are chosen indirectly based on proportional representation (PR), with each province allocated six women PR seats regardless of population size. The quota was introduced for the 2013 and 2018 parliaments as an affirmative action measure to promote women’s presence and participation in politics and in Parliament. However, the 60-seat women’s quota will sunset following the 2018 election. The Senate/Upper House consists of 80 senators. Sixty senators are elected through the PR system, with 6 elected from each of the 10 provinces; their election is based on the number of votes obtained by each party in the National Assembly election by province, and the party list must ensure that female and male candidates alternate to ensure gender equality. Eighteen of the 80 Senate seats are reserved for traditional chiefs, indirectly elected through a chiefs-only electoral college (with no gender requirement). The final two seats are reserved for representatives of persons living with disabilities (PWDs).