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Whither Opposition in Zimbabwe?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2008

Christine Sylvester
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Extract

On 8 and 9 April 1995, Zimbabweans turned out for an election that mostly was not. As many as 55 of the 120 parliamentary seats open for contestation had already been decided for the Zimbabwe African National Union (Patriotic Front), because the six opposition parties of the moment did not put up candidates for them. ZANU PF could also count on another 30 parliamentarians: 12 non-constituency members, to be appointed by the President of Zimbabwe, as well as the eight provincial governors; and ten chiefs elected by local chiefs, all beholden to the ruling party for carrying forward traditional powers to the post- independence era. In other words, ZANU PF was sure of obtaining 85 of the 150 seats in the House of Assembly before a single ballot was cast in the 1995 elections.

Type
Articles
Information
The Journal of Modern African Studies , Volume 33 , Issue 3 , September 1995 , pp. 403 - 423
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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References

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40 Joshua Nkomo decided not to run for a constituency-based parliamentary seat, and Simon Muzenda was unopposed in Gutu North.

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