Zimbabwe: Constitutional Amendment to Legalise Power Share Not Even Drafted

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SW Radio Africa (London)

10 October 2008
Posted to the web 10 October 2008

Tichaona Sibanda

Constitutional amendment 19, which was expected to be railroaded through the second session of the seventh Parliament that begins in Harare on Tuesday, has not yet even been drafted.

Almost a month after the signing ceremony of the power-sharing agreement the drafting of the Bill has still not happened because of the impasse over the sharing of key ministries.

MDC MP and chief whip Innocent Gonese told Newsreel the new constitutional amendment needed to be drafted 30 days before it can be tabled in Parliament.

'Nothing meaningful will come out of this (parliamentary) session. We are still waiting for the conclusion to these talks so that we have a new government that will start to address the plight of the people,' Gonese said.

The MDC chief whip highlighted the fact that the only item on the order paper in parliament next week would probably be debate on the president's speech, which he said will not move the country forward.

The constitutional amendment is aimed at creating the post of prime minister, which will be assumed by Morgan Tsvangirai. The power-sharing deal will allow the three parties to appoint three cabinet ministers from outside members of Parliament. The three ministers will have the power to sit, speak and debate in Parliament, but will not have voting powers.

Further, the MDC-T will appoint two non-constituency senators while MDC-M appoints one. Mugabe has already appointed 5 senators from ZANU PF. Non-constituency senators will have voting powers. There will be two vice-presidents from Zanu PF. Mugabe's party retains the two posts that were created following the 1987 Unity Accord between Zanu and Zapu. There will be two deputy prime ministers, one from Tsvangirai's MDC and the one from Mutambara's MDC.

There will be a cabinet of 31 ministers, 15 ministers from Zanu PF, 13 from Tsvangirai's MDC and three from Mutambara's MDC. There will be 15 deputy ministers, eight from Zanu PF, six from Tsvangirai's MDC and one from Mutambara's MDC.

But for now all this is still theory - as Zimbabwe still awaits a new government and some sign from Robert Mugabe that he will relinquish some of his power.

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