1990 Zimbabwean general election

1990 Zimbabwean general election
	Presidential election
1996 →
President before election; Robert Mugabe; ZANU–PF	Elected President ; Robert Mugabe; ZANU–PF
	Parliamentary election
← 1985 1995 →

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.

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

President


Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Robert Mugabe	ZANU–PF	2,026,976	83.05
	Edgar Tekere	Zimbabwe Unity Movement	413,840	16.95
Total			2,440,816	100.00

Valid votes			2,440,816	94.34
Invalid/blank votes			146,388	5.66
Total votes			2,587,204	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			4,799,333	53.91
Source: African Elections Database

Parliament

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


Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	ZANU–PF	1,690,071	80.55	117	+53
	Zimbabwe Unity Movement	369,031	17.59	2	New
	ZANU–Ndonga	19,448	0.93	1	0
	United African National Council	11,191	0.53	0	New
	National Democratic Union	498	0.02	0	New
	Independents	7,954	0.38	0	–1
Total		2,098,193	100.00	120	+20

Valid votes		2,098,193	93.76
Invalid/blank votes		139,653	6.24
Total votes		2,237,846	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		4,222,892	52.99
Source: African Elections Database, Nohlen et al.^[4]

References

^ Rebecca Falconer; Lydia O'Connor (16 November 2017). "A Look Back At Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's Rise To Power". HuffPost.
^ Elections in Zimbabwe African Elections Database
^ 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
^ ^a ^b Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p973 ISBN 0-19-829645-2

[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

[DN-4] Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p973 ISBN 0-19-829645-2

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Elections and referendums in Zimbabwe
Presidential elections	1990 1996 2002 2008 2013 2018 2023
Parliamentary elections	1899 1902 1905 1908 1911 1914 1920 1924 1928 1933 1934 1939 1946 1948 1954 1958 1962 1965 1970 1974 1977 1979 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2008 2013 2018 2023
Senate elections	2005 2008 2013 2018 2023
Local elections	... 1980 1981 1983 1984 1985 1991 1993 1995 1998 2002 2003 2006 2008 2013 2018 2023
Referendums	1922 1934 1953 1961 1964 1969 1979 2000 2013
See also: Elections in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland