HARARE
–
Zimbabwe’s
cabinet
backed
draft
legislation
on
Tuesday
that
would
change
the
constitution
to
extend
presidential
terms
from
five
years
to
seven,
allowing
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
to
stay
in
office
until
2030.
Other
proposed
changes
in
the
bill
presented
to
cabinet
include
a
provision
that
the
president
be
elected
by
parliament
rather
than
through
a
direct
popular
vote.
Justice
Minister
Ziyambi
Ziyambi
told
a
news
briefing
that
the
bill
would
be
sent
to
the
speaker
of
parliament
and
published
in
an
official
gazette
before
lawmakers
consider
it.
Mnangagwa,
83,
is
currently
meant
to
step
down
in
2028
after
serving
two
five-year
terms,
and
there
has
been
a
succession
battle
in
the
ruling
Zanu
PF
party
over
who
will
take
over.
He
came
to
power
after
a
military
coup
ousted
longtime
leader
Robert
Mugabe
in
2017.
Lawyers
and
opposition
politicians
have
condemned
moves
by
his
party
to
extend
his
time
in
office.
“Zanu
PF
is
not
seeking
to
amend
the
constitution;
it
is
attempting
to
introduce
an
entirely
new
constitution
outside
people
participation
and
a
referendum
–
a
step
it
plainly
has
no
right
to
take,”
prominent
lawyer
Thabani
Mpofu
said.
“A
constitution
is
enacted
by
the
people
as
a
whole,
not
by
a
single
political
party
or
faction.
Parliament’s
law‑making
power
is
confined
to
legislating
for
the
peace,
order,
and
good
governance
of
the
country.
Replacing
the
constitution
exceeds
that
mandate
and
undermines
this
constitutional
principle.”
Jameson
Timba,
a
former
opposition
senator,
said
in
a
statement
that
the
cabinet’s
approval
of
the
changes
was
“politically
destabilising”.
He
said
a
group
called
Defend
the
Constitution
Platform
would
immediately
consult
lawyers
and
brief
regional
and
international
partners
as
part
of
efforts
to
oppose
the
changes.
Professor
Lovemore
Madhuku,
a
constitutional
law
lecturer
at
the
University
of
Zimbabwe,
said
“the
attempts
to
amend
the
constitution
to
extend
the
president’s
term
will
be
fought
and
defeated.”
“The
proposed
constitutional
amendments
are
totally
unacceptable.
The
movers
of
these
proposals
have
no
respect
for
the
people.
The
NCA
party
and
I
will
be
counted
among
those
who
will
be
at
the
forefront
of
mobilising
for
the
total
rejection
of
these
proposals,”
Madhuku
added.
Zanu
PF
has
ruled
Zimbabwe
since
independence
from
Britain
in
1980.
It
has
a
two-thirds
majority
in
the
lower
house
of
parliament
and
also
overwhelmingly
controls
the
upper
house
through
traditional
leaders
and
other
proxies
who
generally
vote
with
it,
allowing
it
to
change
the
constitution.
Ziyambi
has
publicly
declared
that
they
do
not
need
a
public
referendum
to
force
through
the
changes,
a
stance
that
is
set
to
be
tested
in
court.
Here
is
a
breakdown
of
the
amendments
Zanu
PF
is
planning:
🔴 Changing
way
the
president
is
elected
The
Bill
removes
the
current
system
of
directly
electing
the
president
by
popular
vote.
Instead,
the
president
would
be
elected
by
parliament.
To
win,
a
candidate
must
secure
a
majority
of
parliamentary
votes.
🔴 Longer
terms
for
the
president
and
MPs
The
Bill
increases
the
term
of
office
for
both
the
president
and
Members
of
Parliament
from
five
years
to
seven
years.
🔴 Changes
to
succession
Instead
of
a
vice
president
automatically
assuming
office
following
a
vacancy,
the
bill
proposes
that
parliament
elect
a
new
president
within
a
specified
period
after
the
death,
resignation
or
removal
of
an
incumbent.
🔴 Changes
to
the
Attorney
General’s
office
Under
the
Bill,
anyone
appointed
as
Attorney
General
would
need
to
meet
the
qualifications
required
of
a
Supreme
Court
judge.
🔴 A
bigger
Senate
The
Bill
allows
the
president
to
appoint
10
more
senators,
increasing
the
total
number
from
80
to
90.
🔴 Control
of
elections
Responsibility
for
voter
registration
and
the
voters’
roll
would
move
from
ZEC
to
the
Registrar
General.
A
new
Zimbabwe
Electoral
Delimitation
Commission
would
be
set
up
to
take
over
the
task
of
drawing
constituency
and
ward
boundaries
from
ZEC.
🔴 Judicial
appointments
The
Bill
removes
the
public
interview
process
for
judicial
appointments.
This
represents
a
shift
away
from
the
current
system
of
open
scrutiny
in
the
selection
of
judges.
🔴 Role
of
the
Defence
Forces
The
constitution
would
be
amended
to
change
how
the
role
of
the
Defence
Forces
is
described.
Instead
of
stating
that
the
military
must
“uphold”
the
constitution,
it
would
say
they
must
act
“in
accordance
with”
the
constitution.
🔴 Abolition
of
commissions
The
Bill
abolishes
the
Zimbabwe
Gender
Commission
and
transfers
its
functions
to
the
Zimbabwe
Human
Rights
Commission.
The
Peace
and
Reconciliation
Commission
is
also
abolished.
🔴 Traditional
leaders
and
partisan
politics
Requiring
traditional
leaders
not
to
engage
in
partisan
politics
“violates
their
political
rights,”
a
memorandum
accompanying
the
Bill
says.
Amendments
would
allow
traditional
chiefs
and
village
heads
to
openly
dabble
in
politics.
Additional
reporting
Reuters
and
NewzWire