Zimbabwe votes on new constitution Making it count: Votes were cast in polling stations lit with candles and gas lamps in Waterfalls. Zimbabweans have voted on a new constitution that would pave the way for crucial elections in a country plagued by political violence. Voters are expected to roundly back the text, which would introduce presidential term limits, beef up parliament's powers and set elections to decide whether Robert Mugabe, 89, stays in power. Mr Mugabe has ruled uninterrupted since the country's independence in 1980, despite a series of disputed and violent polls and a severe economic crash propelled by hyperinflation. The new draft constitution is part of an internationally-backed plan to get the country back on track. It is supported by the veteran President and his political nemesis, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.