ZANU: Power sharing will never work.
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.
Posted by Dave Fish Eagle
on January 27, 2010. Filed under Politics.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Socialize
Recent Comments