Written By: Gift Phiri
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 10:54
HARARE – Any new constitution should retain the wide-sweeping powers vested in the person of the president by the numerous amendments to the Lancaster House constitution over the past 30 years.
According to a Zanu (PF) blueprint, shown to The Zimbabwean this week, the party is committed to an all-powerful presidency and has no intention whatsoever of sharing power in the future.
The 41-page document, a comparative analysis of Zanu (PF) and MDC constitutional positions, gives an insight into the party’s grand plan to retain an authoritarian centralist government.
This contradicts the MDC’s quest to have executive authority shared between the President, the Prime Minister and cabinet.
The issue of the system of government is expected to be the most contentious issue in the constitution-making process, with Zanu (PF) insisting on a presidential system and the MDC favouring a parliamentary system.
Zanu (PF) justifies its position by arguing that experience from the inclusive government had shown that having two centres of power was unworkable.
“It is much easier for executive power to be streamlined into one office, that of the President,” says the document. “The experience of the people of Zimbabwe with the inclusive government since February 2009 has shown that a sharing of executive power by a President and Prime Minister will result in there being always a fight for power rather than progress. If there has to be a Prime Minister, he does not have executive authority. He is only a senior minister appointed and accountable to the President. In the SADC region, the prevalent arrangement is Head of State and leader of government.”
The Zanu (PF) position
System of Govt: Vested in the President and Cabinet. The President takes precedence over all other persons in Zimbabwe. He is the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
Cabinet: Appointed by President, he presides and it consists of the President, the Vice President or Vice Presidents, and such ministers as the President may determine. A minister holds office as a member of the Cabinet at the President’s pleasure.
Parliament: Only has power to pass a vote of no confidence in government through a two thirds of MPs at a joint sitting of both Houses.
President: All-powerful presidential system retained.
Appointments: President to have exclusive power to hire and fire. All service commanders appointed by the President in consultation only with the Defence Forces Service Commission and the minister of Defence. The same applies to the commissioner-general of police, commissioner of prisons.
Electoral commission: President to be responsible for appointing head of the EC.
Bill of Rights: Fundamental issues of human rights and freedoms may be amended in the Bill of Rights through a two-thirds majority.
The MDC position
System of Govt: A constitution that ensures that the President is directly elected by the people. The President will then appoint a Prime Minister from the party that commands the parliamentary majority.
Cabinet: Appointments to cabinet should be made with approval of Parliament.
Parliament: to have oversight on executive powers and the right to impeach the President.
President: The powers of the president reduced, his term of office limited, and the size of his cabinet scaled down.
Appointments: Parliament to have a say on appointments of permanent secretaries, heads of parastatals and ambassadors. Service chiefs approved by Parliament after recommendation by the executive.
Electoral commission: Parliament to be responsible for appointing head of the EC.
Bill of Rights: Must be entrenched and no Parliament can enact laws to dilute the Bill of Rights. No provisions in the Bill of Rights can be amended or altered except through a referendum.
ZANU:Power Sharing Will Never Work.
I can’t agree more with Zanoids on this one but my advice to u Zanoids is,let the winner of 2008 elections rule.It doesn’t matter the margin of the win,what i know is he garnered more votes than Matibili.
Mugabe, the son of a Malawian Gabriel Matibili, refused to share power with Muzorewa, Nkomo and Sithole. Chikerema told us that Mugabe delayed the freedom of Zimbabwe by his thirsty for power. The bottom line is that Mugabe lost the March 2008 election, he is a loser. AU and SADC do not have the steam to tell Mugabe in the face that he lost an election.
Its all in SADC hands, the way I see it this will be referred to AU and from histroy Africans are not good at solving their own problems. This will take a while th big question is how will the GPA work in the mean time. zanu can realise that they are no longer wanted by Zimbabweans and the only way to stay in power is through force and brutality. Well time will tell, I have always told you that mugabe should just go back to Malawi where he comes from and leave us genuine Zimbabweans to run the country. Elections will humble this man, he will lose even in Zvimba where he comes from. Let them continue with this arrogance, their time to pay back will come. These folks are old and tired nharo will never keep them in power.
the mdc view is better than that of zanu pf. how can you make the unity government a point of reference when you know that it is a product of much compromise and the thievish attitude of zanu pf. also the constituion is not there to construct a dictator as you people suppose but to safeguard the interest of the people of zimbabwe. its unfortunate that zanu is thinking of a constitution. in the light of the minority party ie zanu and not the future of the country