By Correspondent
In 2016, Donald Trump was elected the new US President despite getting almost 2.9 million fewer votes that Hillary Clinton.
That was because in the US, the President is not elected through direct popular vote, but by a process called the Electoral College.
Through this system, each state gets a portion of the nation’s 535 electoral votes, based on its population.
This means that a candidate who racks up victories by impressive margins in some of the most populous states can still lose if an opponent wins enough states.
This is irrespective of the fact that they don’t cumulatively have as many voters.
Zimbabwe, through Constitutional Amendment Bill No3 seeks to implement its own type of an electoral college.
However, the Zimbabwean kind will have Members of Parliament deciding through a ballot who becomes President.
It’s a strange decision which had drawn intense criticism from across the political divide.
Many suspect that this is a gimmick for President Mnangagwa to retain power beyond the agreed terms.
Meanwhile, another conspiracy alleges that it’s a trick to smuggle businessman Kuda Tagwirei into power.
The business magnate has been alleged to use money to buy power and control in the party.
Comparative Countries
Here are 5 other countries that use electoral colleges to vote for the President.
Burundi:
This small east African nation uses an electoral system to elect representatives to its Inama Nkenguzamateka, or Senate.
Thirty-six of the body’s 43 legislators are indirectly elected by a college of provincial councils that use a three-round voting system.
In the first two rounds, a candidate must get a two-thirds majority, while the final round is determined by a simple majority.
Madagascar:
This island nation off the East African coast relies upon an electoral college of municipal, communal, regional and provincial leaders to pick 42 of the 63 members of its Antenimieran-Doholona, or Senate.
The remainder are chosen by the nation’s president.
South Africa
South Africans don’t directly vote for their president; they instead vote for political parties to fill 400 seats in the National Assembly.
The huge implication of the result of the national election is that a president is then elected by the new and returning members of the National Assembly from among themselves.
A simple majority of 201 is what the President-elect needs from the National Assembly.
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