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Amendment No.3 Bill to root out 'political opportunism'
17 Apr 2026 at 17:35hrs |
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Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi says the proposed Constitutional Amendment Number 3 Bill is designed to prevent "political opportunists" from claiming presidential victory without sufficient parliamentary backing, while also reducing electoral violence associated with direct presidential elections.
Speaking in an interview with Zimpapers Television Network, Ziyambi said research into electoral systems shows that direct presidential elections have, in many cases, been linked to heightened tensions, violence and loss of life.
He said comparative studies across Commonwealth countries indicate that in at least 37 out of 56 nations, presidents are elected through parliamentary systems rather than direct popular vote.
"The system that we are introducing will reduce toxicity and ensure that opportunists do not wake up and say I have not lost a presidential election when, in essence, they do not even have members of parliament who would have voted for them," he said.
Ziyambi argued that violence tends to be more pronounced in presidential contests than in constituency-level elections, citing Zimbabwe's electoral history since 1990, with particular reference to the 2008 elections.
He also pointed to incidents following the 2018 elections, saying post-election violence in Harare was not tied to parliamentary outcomes but to disputes over the presidential result.
According to Ziyambi, similar patterns have been observed in other African countries, including Mozambique and Tanzania, where presidential election disputes reportedly triggered unrest despite parliamentary majorities being clearly established.
"In Mozambique, the FRELIMO party had a two-thirds majority. Nobody spoke about it, but there was widespread violence because of the presidential elections," he said.
He made similar references to Tanzania, arguing that unrest followed disagreements over presidential election outcomes.
The Minister said such trends demonstrate that presidential elections often carry higher risks of polarisation and instability compared to constituency-based polls.
"That is why we said, why are we encumbering ourselves with a system that divides us rather than unite us?" he said.
The proposals under Constitutional Amendment No. 3 have already received significant public input, with Parliament reporting strong endorsement during nationwide public hearings held between March 30 and April 2.
Speaking in an interview with Zimpapers Television Network, Ziyambi said research into electoral systems shows that direct presidential elections have, in many cases, been linked to heightened tensions, violence and loss of life.
He said comparative studies across Commonwealth countries indicate that in at least 37 out of 56 nations, presidents are elected through parliamentary systems rather than direct popular vote.
"The system that we are introducing will reduce toxicity and ensure that opportunists do not wake up and say I have not lost a presidential election when, in essence, they do not even have members of parliament who would have voted for them," he said.
Ziyambi argued that violence tends to be more pronounced in presidential contests than in constituency-level elections, citing Zimbabwe's electoral history since 1990, with particular reference to the 2008 elections.
He also pointed to incidents following the 2018 elections, saying post-election violence in Harare was not tied to parliamentary outcomes but to disputes over the presidential result.
According to Ziyambi, similar patterns have been observed in other African countries, including Mozambique and Tanzania, where presidential election disputes reportedly triggered unrest despite parliamentary majorities being clearly established.
"In Mozambique, the FRELIMO party had a two-thirds majority. Nobody spoke about it, but there was widespread violence because of the presidential elections," he said.
He made similar references to Tanzania, arguing that unrest followed disagreements over presidential election outcomes.
The Minister said such trends demonstrate that presidential elections often carry higher risks of polarisation and instability compared to constituency-based polls.
"That is why we said, why are we encumbering ourselves with a system that divides us rather than unite us?" he said.
The proposals under Constitutional Amendment No. 3 have already received significant public input, with Parliament reporting strong endorsement during nationwide public hearings held between March 30 and April 2.
Source - The Herald
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