The question that most interested Zimbabweans are asking is why are our leaders spending so much time and effort in continuing to negotiate on an evidently flawed and highly conflictual global political agreement (GPA) when they could use that time, energy and momentum in drafting a constitution that takes in all important aspects of the GPA.
Zimbabwes government of national unity (GNU) has survived for a year and has brought some semblance of normality to the country. However, more than a year after singing what is essentially a gentlemens agreement, the GPA that created the GNU the two main parties are still bickering over certain aspects of their shared governance.
Consequently not a week goes by without reminders that Zanu (PF) is either refusing to and/or dragging its feet in implementing all aspects of the GPA. What one fails to understand, however, is why spent so much time and effort in a process that it is evidently flawed when you could use that time, energy and momentum in drafting a constitution that takes in all important aspects of the GPA.
No one needs reminding that the constitution unlike the GPA is a more permanent and universal declaration that will not be owned by any single party. It is an important document, one that has the potential of offering Zimbabwe not only a new vision but also the clearest and most legal opportunity yet to get rid of Cde Mugabe and avoid a potentially ruinous struggle to succeed him.
Although it is clear that Zimbabwes current stability depends largely on the GPA and thus it need not be abandoned, spending too much political capital on it, however, is distracting and only serves to draw attention away from the more important issue of the constitution. This constitution is a huge opportunity for the country and if properly formulated it will enable the country to begin to heal and to move forward.
Mugabes position
The people of Zimbabwe, particularly those tasked with drafting this constitution need to realise that if they get it wrong this time the consequences will be dire. Indeed, Cde Mugabes current position, Zanu (PF)s Presidium, hangs like a dagger on the future stability of the country.
And the danger lies largely in the fact that this position is highly coveted by certain powerful elements within Zanu (PF) and if Mugabe was to suddenly retire or god forbid suddenly dies, the fight (infighting) to replace him can have a huge destabilising effect.
That is, Mugabe has not only become an obstacle to change but his continual stay and his failure to nominate a successor has also created a potential security risk. It can not be stressed enough that the country is in desperate need for a space for healing and recovery and can ill afford another period of political instability.
The people drafting this constitution need to transcend the lethargy of the GNU and show some fortitude. They need to be bold and produce an irenic document. One that reflects a desire to move away from the belligerence and political conflicts of the past. Their document should be able to tame and constrain government power and produce a democratic government that is benign as well as effective.
The future government needs to exist solely for the purposes of securing revenue and enforcing law and order. More importantly, the constitution should encourage the existence and growth of a protected and lightly regulated private sphere.
It has to make the government respect private property rights and thus make the country internationally competitive which in turn makes it easy to attract foreign direct investment. It also has to put in place a set of human and civil rights the government is obligated to respect.
Executive presidency
In regards to Cde Mugabe, the new constitution can be used to get rid of him by abolishing his position, that is, abolish the Executive Presidency and make him redundant. The Executive Presidency can be replaced with a parliamentary democracy in which the party with the largest representation in parliament forms the government, its leader becoming Prime Minister such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined.
This will create a much needed differentiation between the head of government (Prime Minister) and the head of state (titular or ceremonial president). This has the added potential for a more consensus type of democracy that is likely to score high on political equality and proximity between government policies and voter preferences.
Although this thinking might seem nave or a product of visionary luftmensch, it doesnt take a genius, however, to realise that this is the most perfect opportune for the country to do away with its troublesome past. There are doubters of course, those who openly question if either Zanu (PF) or Mugabe will allow such sweeping changes to take place.
But this time around it is different, things have changed. Zanu (PF)s leadership is wounded, exhausted and has run out of ideas. Consequently Cde Mugabe no longer hold as much command of the party and the state as he used to and if ever there was a time to get rid of him this is it. Indeed, people in Zanu (PF) itself are now openly questioning the wisdom of keeping him in power.
They now accept that wanting him to go is no longer a matter of being against the man or disagreeing with him and his policies, his conduct or even disagreeing with the way he has managed the country, it is a matter of renewal. He has stayed too long and in that he has become an obstacle to change.
Thence this is the time for change, the time to put the temporary and conflictual imbroglio of the GPA to the side, the time to come together and start drafting a new and democratic constitution for Zimbabwe.
Post published in: Opinions