Source: Legislators back CAB3 during debate – herald
Herald Reporter
PARLIAMENTARIANS yesterday began debating the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill, which was tabled in the National Assembly on Wednesday by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi.
There was overwhelming support for the Bill by the legislators, mirroring the same endorsement by people across the country during public consultations.
However, some legislators did not seem to appreciate proposals to disband the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, arguing that such a move would reverse gains made in promoting gender equality and women’s rights.
Yesterday’s debate was largely centred on proposals to extend the electoral cycle for the President, Parliament and local authorities from five to seven years, as well as the election of the President by Parliament.
A report by the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, which led the public consultations, shows that a majority of submissions strongly favoured changing the election of the President from a direct public vote to election by Parliament.
The Committee said supporters argued that the proposed model would foster greater collaboration and confidence between the Executive and Parliament, ultimately enhancing governance and policy alignment.
The report said submissions also emphasised that electing the President through Parliament would substantially reduce the immense financial costs of organising nationwide presidential elections, which have previously been marred by political tension, violence and contestation over results.
The Committee further reported that submissions supported extending the electoral cycle of the President and Members of Parliament from five to seven years and applying the change to the incumbent.
Buhera Central legislator Honourable Samson Matema said amending the Constitution was in tandem with responding to the demands of changing times.
“Amendments are, therefore, inevitable in light of the above as we work towards reforming, reinforcing, strengthening, clarifying, aligning, and/or harmonising certain provisions and prescriptions of existing statutes in their text,” he said.
“CAB3 is doing exactly that. The road that we are walking is not new with respect to how a President is elected.
“At the advent of our independence, Parliament elected both the President and the Prime Minister.
“Constitutional Amendment 7 of 1987 had the effect of introducing a direct election.”
Honourable Matema added that universal adult suffrage speaks to giving people the right to vote, as provided for in Section 67 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, “which is very explicit” in terms of who is entitled to vote.
“It does not say how people vote, and therefore how the Executive is selected. It is historically and legislatively obtuse and forced to present and claim direct presidential elections as some sacred liberation war inheritance,” he said.
He said the country’s first two elections post the liberation struggle gave the nation both the President and Prime Minister via Parliament.
“There is no debate, Mr Speaker, that for the past three decades, we have heard contestations around the election results with respect to the President, and for no reason other than political posturing and grandstanding.
“In the face of the posturing that I referred to, Mr Speaker Sir, how do we negotiate our way to an election that cannot be challenged? We need to retrace our political footsteps back to 1980, recalibrate, realign, reposition and relaunch”.
MP Matema said CAB3 is prescribing an indirect election of the President via a joint sitting of the Senate and House of Assembly, with legislators carrying the voices of their constituencies.
Zaka South legislator Honourable Clemence Chiduwa also supported the proposed amendment that would allow the President to be elected by Parliament.
He said the voting model promotes stability, accountability and mature democratic governance.
“Democracy is not measured only by a national contest; democracy is measured by whether the system produces legitimate leadership, strong institutions and effective governments.
“The people elect members of Parliament to represent their will, make laws, approve budgets and hold the Executive to account.
“If Parliament carries the people’s mandate in all these critical matters, then it also has the democratic legitimacy to elect the President on behalf of the nation.
“This is not a denial of democracy; it is representative democracy in action,” he said.
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