(AP) — Zimbabwe’s justice minister on Tuesday introduced a constitutional amendment bill in Parliament that would extend the tenure of the country’s 83-year-old president and shift presidential elections from a direct popular vote to selection by lawmakers.

The proposal would defer elections due in 2028 by two years and extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term to 2030. It would also lengthen the terms of the president, MPs, councilors and mayors from five to seven years.

The move has heightened political tensions in a country where critics of the government have often been detained or harassed.