Key points in Zim's draft constitution
2013-03-14 20:47
Special Report
Chinese vice premier Wang Yang has urged Zimbabwe to ensure peace and political stability ahead of elections this year.
Harare - Zimbabweans will on Saturday vote on a new
constitution designed to underpin democratic reforms.
Here are a few of the key points of the text:
- Limits presidents to two five-year terms.
- Strips away presidential immunity from prosecution
after leaving office.
- Bolsters the power of parliament, which will consist of
210 elected members and an additional 60 women lawmakers to be picked initially
through a system of proportional representation.
- Partially abolishes death penalty for males aged below
21 and over 70 and for all females.
- Sets up a peace and reconciliation commission to take
care of post-conflict justice and healing.
- Creates, for the first time, a Consitutional Court that
would deal with governance abuse.
- Binds the police and the military to be impartial and
forbids them from meddling in electoral issues.
- Reins in presidential influence on the appointment of
members of the judiciary.
- Introduces devolution and decentralisation of power to
enhance participation in decision making by citizens at local levels and ensure
equitable sharing of national and local resources.
- Introduces a national prosecution authority that is
de-linked from the attorney general who now becomes government's chief legal
advisor.
- Compels a president to consult parliament in the event
of military deployment to prevent undercover operations that may be linked to
rights abuses.
- Introduces redress for victims of violence and
intimidation to seek and get protection.
- Protects people against malicious arrests and
prosecution.
- Compels courts to deal with electoral disputes within
14 days.
- Guarantees separation of powers between the executive,
legislature and the judiciary.
- Guarantees free, fair and regular elections; and for
citizens to freely make political choices.
- States that farmland seized from whites and handed to
black farmers under a controversial land reform cannot be legally contested.
- Recognises 16 languages spoken in the country,
including sign language.
- Outlaws same sex marriages.
- AFP
