PM Post To Be Scrapped, Draft Constitution Shows

Meanwhile the Parliamentary Constitution Select Committee (COPAC) has disowned the draft constitution document.

The state-owned Herald on Wednesday published a draft it said was the COPAC final constitution draft while the privately-owned NewsDay is serialising what it says is the Zimbabwe Draft Constitution.

But COPAC officials told Radio VOP, the document in circulation, was fraudulent and did not belong to COPAC.

Jessie Majome, the COPAC spokesperson, said the document could be information stolen from COPAC offices.

“We have not published a draft. It is not yet available. We urge members of the public to be wary of any purported draft of the new Constitution of Zimbabwe and wait and rely on the proposed draft to be officially released by COPAC as soon as it is available and ready.”

Zanu (PF) and the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations are failing to agree on the draft constitution before it goes to a referendum.

The draft constitution shows that the country will remain with the powerful executive President post and two Vice Presidents.

The President will have a maximum of two five year terms and must be at least 40 years of age. There is no maximum age limit of the age of the Presidential candidate or a clause that prevents a former president to run again.
The President must be guided by ethnic and regional balance. Matebeleland regions, which have been advocating for devolution of power, have been calling for decentralisation saying that over the past 32 years they had been neglected.

“In appointing ministers and deputies the President must be guided by ethnic, regional and gender balance considerations,” the draft reads.

The draft constitution calls upon media’s self regulation but the government appointed Media Commission will continue to exist.

“What people are reading in newspapers is not legit at all,” said Majome.

President Robert Mugabe has demanded that the draft be handed to the principals before the end of this week.

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) has said it will advocate for a no vote during a referendum saying the process did not allow people to air their views on the new constitution freely.