Zimbabwe
All qualified electors who have attained the age of 40 and have been ordinarily
resident in Zimbabwe for not less than 10 years during the immediately preceding
20 years are eligible for election as Senators if enrolled as voters on the Common Roll
(in relation to Black Senators) or on the White Roll (in relation to White Senators).
The office of Senator is deemed incompatible with the holding of public office, except
in the case of Ministers or Deputy Ministers; members of the Defence Forces or
reserve forces of the Police Force whose services are not wholly in the employ of the State;
and persons holding any office for which no remuneration is provided other than
payment of travelling or subsistence allowances. A Senate candidature must be supported
by not less than 30 and not more than 50 persons enrolled, as the case may be, on
the Common Roll or White Roll. If the candidate contests a seat of a Senator Chief
(see below), he must himself be a Chief and nominated and seconded by Chiefs,
both of whom are members of the appropriate electoral college.
All qualified electors who have attained the age of 21 years and have been
ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe for not less than five years during the immediately
preceding 20 years are eligible for election to the House of Assembly. Black persons
enrolled as voters on the Common Roll may be elected as Common Roll constituency
members, while White persons enrolled as voters on the White Roll may be elected as
White Roll constituency members. Incompatibilities are the same as for Senators.
House of Assembly candidates must be supported by not less than 10 and not more
than 20 persons registered in the same constituency.
Of the 40 Senators, 14 are elected by an electoral college consisting of the House
of Assembly members chosen by the 80 Common Roll constituencies; 10 by an electoral
college consisting of the House of Assembly members chosen by the 20 White Roll
constituencies; 5 (Chiefs) by an electoral college consisting of those Chiefs in Matabeleland who are members of the Council of Chiefs; 5 (Chiefs) by an electoral college
consisting of those Chiefs in Mashonaland who are members of the Council of Chiefs;
and 6 are appointed by the President of the Republic on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Election of House of Assembly members is carried out in the course of one ballot.
Each Assembly or Senate candidate must make a deposit of Z$ 100 or Z$ 200,
respectively. This sum is reimbursed if the candidate is elected or obtains at least onefifth of the number of votes cast for the successful candidate (Assembly) or the
candidate elected with the lowest number of votes (Senate). In Common Roll constituencies, Assembly members are elected by simple majority. In White Roll constituencies,
electors express their preferences among the candidates on the ballot paper. When there are
two candidates, the one obtaining the most first preference votes is elected, provided he thus
wins the absolute majority of votes. If this majority is not attained, the least-favoured
candidate is eliminated and his votes are allotted to the candidates who received
second preferences on the ballots of the eliminated candidate; this process is continued
until an absolute majority is reached.
142