New Constitution : So Near Yet So Far!!! "Are we there Yet?????"

His excellency the president, is likely to be the one to set the date for the general elections. This comes after the Supreme come court passed a ruling in favor of the president in the matter as to when the elections could be held in that the existing parliament would have to be dissolved on 29 June.

President Judge George Chiweshe passed the rulling saying that the existing parliament could not last beyond the 29th of June this year and he cited several reasons...

In his judgment delivered last week in favour of Mugabe, reasons were given yesterday, Justice Chiweshe said it was common cause that the President was sworn into office on June 29, 2009. Among them was the view that under the existing constitution, the life of the parliament will have come to an end.

“On that date,Parliament shall stand dissolved . . . It is, however, permissible to extend the life of Parliament beyond that date on the grounds provided under Section 63 (5) and (6) of the Constitution,” Chiweshe said.

So the President has the ultimate power on the deciding of the poll date. But there are other factors of influence. for instance when is the NEW CONSTITUTION be passed and adopted as the law in the country?

While the top brasses of the country debate and argue about the poll date and so on they are not explaining the new constitution situation as it still hold zimbabweans at ransom: - as tight as it has ever been.

Minister Chinamasa was on radio in the previous week explaining this among other issues of  particularly his visit to England with several other politicians.

Chinamasa explained that the new constitution has to first wait a probationary period of 30 days before it can be debated in parliament  and that it will the be passed as a bill and the adopted. 

The likely time frame to look at in my opinion is at least 3 months. In the meantime we have all this ruckus one poll dates.

Its confusing to the random pedestrian that after voting for a new constitution and still to be held at ransom by the old one. More information has to be given to the Zimbabweans...

Here they are happy about their new constitution but its still not in their reach. 

Classic So Near Yet So FAR!!!

What is wanted now is information...   and a clear road map to were the country is headed...

Why cant they Agree on a single Election date?????

Well this is doesn't surprise me one bit. we now have two different dates for the General Elections. 

We have his Excellency the president saying they will be held in June this year and Morgan Tsvangirai sayys the ideal date would be 16 September.

Why can't they agree on a single date this one ups man-ship contest has gone too far in my book. Of the two dates which is the more reasonable or sensible or realistic date for the polls. Frankly I do not care; sue me! 

Here is my problem with it all.

I don't want to take sides with either party on the date selection all that must understood is are the people of Zimbabwe ready and can ZEC carry out the election.

FUNDING of the elections has been a huge deal. the state does not have enough money to fund the process. The UNDP has been handed with a request to fund the nation's polls and they returned a letter with various conditions they want for the organisation to fund Zimbabwe. I agree with the conditions from the state that we will not conform to UNDP's request on how Zimbabwe should run the election process l"et us be us" I say. In this regard a later date date would help in aloting more time to acquire resources to run the polls.

The timing on both dates affects the Final exams period for some of Zimbabwe's Schooling community. if they can't respect the education process of the country's future leaders what then are they doing, destroying a country that is trying to rise from the muck they put it in.. (by them I mean All the Politicians involved). There is no running away from this issue. if polls are to be held this year they will disturb the School calender.

On the plus side there is more time for voter education. the Referendum brought out clearly how seriously Zimbabweans need more voter education. the "ignorance" on the subject among most Zimbabweans is pitiful.

Also candidates would have more time to carry out their campaigns in their respective constituencies. And be know by the people they seek to serve.

As long as there is no set date for the polls Zimbabwe has no future to look forward to. Until then its driving blind.

IM sure I speak for many Zimbabweans when I say that may a date please be set  sooner rather than later.

  

The Referendum: Vote "YES" or "NO" do you know what you are voting for

THE REFERENDUM ON THE 16th OF MARCH

The Oscar Pistorius kept us entertained for a while, now it’s time to come back to serious business so what a celebrity shot his girlfriend. There are more pressing issues that affect more people in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa as a whole.

The upcoming constitutional referendum, and later the presidential elections in the country are a much awaited development in the country that experienced an economic meltdown in the wake of political problems.

On the 16^th of March the country will hold the referendum. Training of polling officers is currently ongoing at various centers around the country. There are many crucial points we need to check before we go and vote yes or no…

The process of drafting this constitution has been bridled with much trouble with all three political parties having parts of it they did not agree with; and recently Welshman Ncube threatened to pull out of the referendum campaigns. Surely that’s no way to start off with the new constitution. Question now is; were there any changes made in coherence with those made by the citizens when they went to give their views on what they wanted out of the constitution?

Well who knows?  Zanu PF rejected one of the drafts because it did not adhere to their views and values so they said. Now they are pushing for a YES vote just like the MDC- T faction as well as the MDC-N. What has changed? We really have to know. These Political Parties have definitely found something that they stand to benefit from at the expense of the people of Zimbabwe.

When we go to vote on the 16^th, will our decision be an informed one or not. Will we vote because we want to and we know what we are voting on? To the people of Zimbabwe I say find out today what you are voting on before u place an X on the “Yes “ or “No”.