1990 Zimbabwean general election

General elections were held in Zimbabwe on 23 March 1990 to elect the president and Parliament. They were the first elections to be contested under the amended constitution of 1987, which established an elected executive presidency and abolished the Senate. They were also the first ever elections in the country to be contested on a single roll, with no separate voting for whites and blacks.

1990 Zimbabwean general election

23 March 1990
Presidential election
1996 →
 
President Zimbabwe , Robert Mugabe bezoekt Nederland Robert Mugabe , kop, Bestanddeelnr 932-1922.jpg
Edgar Tekere.jpg
Candidate Robert Mugabe Edgar Tekere
Party ZANU–PF ZUM
Popular vote 2,026,976 413,840
Percentage 83.05% 16.95%

President before election

Robert Mugabe
ZANU–PF

Elected President

Robert Mugabe
ZANU–PF

Parliamentary election
← 1985
1995 →
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/–
ZANU–PF Robert Mugabe 80.55 117 +53
ZUM Edgar Tekere 17.59 2 New
ZANU–Ndonga Ndabaningi Sithole 0.93 1 +1
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

In the presidential contest, incumbent Robert Mugabe secured his first full term; he had become President following the 1987 constitutional amendments after serving as Prime Minister since the country gained internationally recognised independence in 1980.[1] Mugabe's ZANU–PF party won 117 of the 120 elected seats in Parliament.[2]

The elections were not free and fair. Mugabe's regime and the ZANU-PF used paramilitary organizations to intimidate opposition, and also abused legislative and judicial powers to stay in power.[3]

Results

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President

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CandidatePartyVotes%
Robert MugabeZANU–PF2,026,97683.05
Edgar TekereZimbabwe Unity Movement413,84016.95
Total2,440,816100.00
Valid votes2,440,81694.34
Invalid/blank votes146,3885.66
Total votes2,587,204100.00
Registered voters/turnout4,799,33353.91
Source: African Elections Database

Parliament

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A total of 4,799,324 voters were registered, but 576,432 were in uncontested constituencies.[4]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
ZANU–PF1,690,07180.55117+53
Zimbabwe Unity Movement369,03117.592New
ZANU–Ndonga19,4480.9310
United African National Council11,1910.530New
National Democratic Union4980.020New
Independents7,9540.380–1
Total2,098,193100.00120+20
Valid votes2,098,19393.76
Invalid/blank votes139,6536.24
Total votes2,237,846100.00
Registered voters/turnout4,222,89252.99
Source: African Elections Database, Nohlen et al.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Rebecca Falconer; Lydia O'Connor (16 November 2017). "A Look Back At Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's Rise To Power". HuffPost.
  2. ^ Elections in Zimbabwe African Elections Database
  3. ^ Kwashirai, Vimbai Chaumba, ed. (2023), "The New Enemy in the 1990 General Elections Was Zum", Election Violence in Zimbabwe: Human Rights, Politics and Power, Cambridge University Press, pp. 65–93, doi:10.1017/9781108120265.005, ISBN 978-1-107-19081-8
  4. ^ a b Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p973 ISBN 0-19-829645-2