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(TALKZIMBABWE) Zanu PF proposes two five-year terms for president

Zanu PF proposes two five-year terms for president
By: TH/TZG
Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010 8:38 pm

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has proposed to limit presidential terms to a maximum of two five-year tenures but with full executive powers retained, according to a position paper issued by that party.

The posts of prime minister and the two deputies, which were effected by Constitutional Amendment No 19, will no longer exist as they were creatures of the inclusive Government.

The position paper will be distributed to party supporters across the country ahead of the constitutional outreach programme.

“The district chairpersons will collect the document and distribute it among members. The position paper contains our thoughts as a party on various issues that we need to be in the new constitution,” said Zanu-PF provincial chairman for Harare Amos Midzi on Thursday.

Zanu-PF also proposes that the President's term of office should run concurrently with that of Members of Parliament and executive authority should rest with the President and Cabinet.

“Executive authority must rest with the President and Cabinet. The President is the Head of State and Government and Commander of the Defence Forces.

“The President appoints one and not more than two Vice-Presidents from among MPs to assist in the discharge of duties. There should be no Prime Minister,” the paper says.

The defence forces, the party says, should defend the country's sovereignty and be answerable to the President.

Zanu-PF also proposes that the President appoint ministers from among MPs and assigns functions to them, as is the case with the present constitution.

On the land issue, Zanu-PF wants any new constitution to guarantee the irreversibility of the revolutionary agrarian reforms and wants the new constitution to make it clear that former coloniser Britain is responsible for payment of any compensation attendant to land reforms.

“The liberation war was fought to regain land. Therefore the State has the obligation to compulsorily acquire land for resettlement purposes, compensation for the land acquired should be borne by the former colonial masters,” the party says.


The party also wants the new constitution to guarantee individuals’ rights and freedoms.

“Rights to life, liberty, security, freedom of speech, education, political rights, agricultural land, protection of law, right to property and right to information”.

BAN ON HOMOSEXUALITY

Zanu-PF wants equal gender representation in all spheres of society and a ban on homosexuality.

This means that organisations like GALZ (Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe) will be outlawed.

Male homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe, under laws which date to the Rhodesian and British colonial eras, and since 1995, the government has carried out campaigns against homosexuals against both men and women.

Common law prohibitions include sodomy defined as the "unlawful and intentional sexual relations per anum between two human males."

Labels: CONSTITUTION, TERM LIMITS, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 6:47 AM