WASHINGTON,
United
States
–
A
senior
United
States
lawmaker
has
warned
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
against
moves
to
extend
his
rule
beyond
the
constitutionally
mandated
limit,
saying
such
an
attempt
would
undermine
Zimbabwe’s
fragile
democracy.
Gregory
Meeks,
the
ranking
member
of
the
powerful
House
Foreign
Affairs
Committee,
said
Washington
was
watching
developments
in
Harare
closely
after
Zanu
PF
last
weekend
adopted
a
resolution
to
begin
the
process
of
amending
the
Constitution
to
keep
Mnangagwa
in
power
until
2030.
“President
Mnangagwa
swore
to
strengthen
the
pillars
of
Zimbabwe’s
democracy
and
accept
term
limits,”
Meeks
said
in
a
statement.
“Extending
his
term
would
erode
that
foundation.”
Under
the
current
constitution,
Mnangagwa
must
step
down
in
2028
after
serving
two
five-year
terms.
But
the
ruling
party’s
annual
conference
in
Mutare
last
weekend
directed
the
government
to
“initiate
the
requisite
legislative
amendments”
to
allow
him
to
stay
on
for
two
more
years.
Hundreds
of
delegates
cheered
as
the
motion
passed.
Zanu
PF,
in
power
since
independence
in
1980,
holds
a
commanding
majority
in
parliament,
giving
it
a
clear
path
to
pass
the
amendments.
However,
constitutional
experts
have
warned
that
extending
a
sitting
president’s
term
could
require
approval
in
two
separate
referendums.
Mnangagwa,
83,
has
previously
described
himself
as
a
“constitutionalist”
and
insisted
he
would
not
seek
to
overstay
his
mandate.
But
allies
within
the
party
have
been
pushing
for
him
to
remain
in
office
until
2030,
arguing
that
he
needs
more
time
to
consolidate
his
economic
vision.
The
plan
has
exposed
deepening
divisions
within
Zanu
PF,
particularly
between
Mnangagwa
loyalists
and
supporters
of
Vice
President
Constantino
Chiwenga,
who
led
the
2017
coup
that
toppled
Robert
Mugabe.