Section 143: Duration and dissolution of Parliament
Constitution of Zimbabwe
(1) Parliament is elected for a five-year term which runs from the date on which the President-elect is sworn in and assumes office in terms of section 94(1)(a), and Parliament stands dissolved at midnight on the day before the first polling day in the next general election called in terms of section 144.
(2) The President must by proclamation dissolve Parliament if the Senate and the National Assembly, sitting separately, by the votes of at least two-thirds of the total membership of each House, have passed resolutions to dissolve.
(3) The President may by proclamation dissolve Parliament if the National Assembly has unreasonably refused to pass an Appropriation Bill referred to in section 305.
(4) A decision to dissolve Parliament in terms of subsection (3) may, on the application of any Member of Parliament, be set aside on review by the Constitutional Court.
(5) An application for the review of a decision to dissolve Parliament must be filed with the Constitutional Court within seven days after the decision was published, and—
(a) the Constitutional Court must determine the application within fourteen days after it
was filed; and
(b) pending the Constitutional Court’s determination of the application, the decision to
dissolve Parliament is suspended.
Key Insight: Parliamentary Dissolution Safeguards
This section establishes important checks and balances on the dissolution of Parliament. While Parliament normally serves a full five-year term, there are three dissolution mechanisms: natural term completion, self-dissolution (requiring a supermajority), or presidential dissolution (in specific budget impasses). Notably, the Constitutional Court provides judicial oversight when the President dissolves Parliament over budget matters, creating a safeguard against potential executive overreach.