At stake in this election:

• 60 seats in the Senate

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Robert MUGABE
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Morgan TSVANGIRAI
• Assembly: Zimbabwe has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate with 80 seats and the National Assembly with 270 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
• In the Senate, 60 members are elected by proportional representation at the provincial level to serve 5-year terms, 16 members are elected by regional governing councils to serve 5-year terms, 2 members are reserved for the President and Deputy President of the National Council of Chiefs to serve 5-year terms and 2 members are filled to represent persons with disabilities to serve 5-year terms*. In the National Assembly, 210 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms and 60 members are women elected by proportional representation at the provincial level to serve 5-year terms.**

* In the Senate, 60 Senators are elected on the basis of party-list proportional representation based upon the provincial returns of votes for parties fielding candidates in the National Assembly elections. The party lists alternate gender, with every list being led by a female candidate. An additional 16 Senators are Chiefs elected by 8 non-metropolitan provincial assemblies. 2 Senators are elected to represent persons with disabilities, and the final 2 Senate seats are designated for the President and Deputy President of the National Council of Chiefs.

** In the National Assembly, 60 seats are reserved for women. In each of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces, 6 women are elected by proportional representation based on the provincial return of votes for parties fielding candidates in the National Assembly's constituency elections.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front / (ZANU-PF)
  • Leader: Robert MUGABE
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 30
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 37
• Party: Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T)
  • Leader: Morgan TSVANGIRAI
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 24
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 21
• Alliance: Mavumbo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD)
  • Leader: Simba MAKONI
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
• Party: Zimbabwe African National Union - Ndonga (ZANU-Ndonga)
  • Leader: Reketai SEMWAYO
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
• Party: Movement for Democratic Change - Ncube (MDC-N)
  • Leader: Welshman NCUBE
  • Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 2
• Party: Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU)
  • Leader: Dumiso DABENGWA
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 13,182,908 (July 2013 est.)
• Registered Voters: 5,874,115 (June 2013 )