Zanu-PF pushing for removal of constitutional court

A fresh fight has erupted in the constitution-making process amid revelations Zanu-PF is pushing for the removal of the constitutional court, devolution while seeking the retention of absolute power for the President in the new charter.

The party proposed that the constitutional court should instead be replaced by a division in the Supreme Court.

In its 29-page proposals on the draft of the new governance charter to Copac, Zanu-PF is also seeking to retain two Vice-Presidents allegedly to balance its ethnic politics.

Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo confirmed yesterday the party had made new proposals to the Copac draft and that the two MDCs were against their draft.

Gumbo, however, referred questions to the party Copac co-chairperson Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana.

"The best person to answer that is Mangwana, but my understanding is that the MDCs were not pleased with the document," Gumbo said.

MDC-T spokesperson and Copac co-chairperson Douglas Mwonzora said they were not happy with the Zanu-PF proposals which include giving the President complete power to deploy troops in and out of Zimbabwe without Parliament's approval.

Zanu-PF also proposed that the President should take precedence over all other persons in Zimbabwe.

The Cabinet should be deleted because the President is directly elected. 6.2 (2) to add new clause President takes precedence over all other persons in Zimbabwe, reads the Zanu-PF proposal.

The party also wants to maintain the 50% plus one concept, which is currently in the Electoral Act and proposed it should be incorporated into the new constitution.

On the post of Attorney-General, Zanu-PF proposed that s/he retains prosecuting powers, but should not sit in Cabinet and Parliament.

In Parliament, Zanu-PF is proposing to have 92 Senate seats and 280 seats in the Lower House with 210 first pass the post and 70 reserved for women.

The proposal by Zanu-PF seeks to transfer the powers of the Speaker of Parliament to the Senate President.

On chiefs, Zanu-PF said they should vote in Parliament.

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