President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF party (in power since independence in 1980) won the majority in both chambers of parliament. It took 175 seats in the 280-member National Assembly and 33 of the 60 seats at stake in the 80-member Senate. The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), the main opposition party, led by Mr. Nelson Chamisa, came second, winning 104 and 27 seats respectively. 



In the presidential election, held in parallel with the parliamentary elections, the incumbent, President Mnangagwa (ZANU-PF), was declared elected. His main challenger, Mr. Chamisa (CCC), rejected the results, claiming irregularities, rigging of the elections and voter intimidation (see note). 



The 2023 elections were the first to be held under the rule of President Mnangagwa, who was first elected in 2018. The key electoral issues included economic challenges, corruption and access to social services. 

On 25 August 2023, the EU Election Observation Mission stated that “the election process fell short of many regional and international standards, including equality, universality, and transparency”. The UN Secretary-General expressed concerns over the arrest of observers, reports of voter intimidation and threats of violence. 



Note:

Voting was extended into an unprecedented second day due to delays in printing ballot papers in several districts, including the capital, Harare, an opposition stronghold. Police arrested 41 election monitors, accusing them of attempting to announce results before the election commission.