According to the party’s position paper on the new constitution being distributed to its supporters, Zanu PF is against the current system where there is a president and a prime minister.
The party is distributing a summary of its positions on the 17 constitutional thematic areas and it has also prepared responses to the different talking points that the committees crafted for the outreach programme.
In response to a question on whether Zimbabwe needed an executive president or prime minister, the party said: “We need an executive president who shares executive authority with the cabinet and no prime minister as this results in an endless unproductive contest for power between the president and the prime minister that results in a weak state in which neo-colonialism can thrive.”
On the terms of office of the president should serve, Zanu PF is proposing a maximum of two terms of five years each — the same length as the life of parliament.
It said the terms should be effective after the new constitution comes into effect.
Zanu PF said there should not be mechanisms of recalling the head of state since he or she is directly elected by the people and should be removed through an electoral process.
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It said the president can leave through resignation or impeachment by the senate after request by two thirds of the members of the national assembly for serious misconduct or failure to obey, uphold and defend the constitution or willful violation of the supreme law.
Zanu PF wants the president to continue appointing ministers without approval of parliament.
It is campaigning for two houses of parliament –– the House of Assembly and the Senate –– and an independent judiciary.
On non-elected MPs, Zanu PF said 10 seats should be reserved for provincial governors, 18 seats for chiefs and five seats for those appointed by the president.
On the appointment of the judiciary, it said the president should appoint judges and the chief justice in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, which would be responsible for appointing members of the judiciary and fixing and regulating their conditions of service.
It is proposing that there be a Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, High Court, Labour Court, Administrative Court and Magistrates and Customary Law Courts.
On citizenship and bill of rights, only children born in the Diaspora would be allowed dual citizenship.
Homosexuality and abortion, it said, should remain banned, while education, health, social, economic and cultural rights should be guaranteed.
Media freedom, it said, should be guaranteed with national responsibilities and limitations “acceptable in a democratic society”.
“Media freedom should be included in the constitution within the freedom of speech and expression as it is a fundamental human right. Freedom of the press or media should be limited to exclude incitement to violence and advocacy of hatred which is based on nationality, race, colour, tribe, culture, sex…,” Zanu PF said.
“Media regulation is necessary in the interest of enforcing responsible reporting and state security and public order. The media should be regulated through a media commission.”
Zanu PF wants the status quo to remain where government owns public media houses for disseminating information about its processes, decisions and policies. — Staff Writer.
