Mugabe gazettes CA19 Bill

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has gazetted Constitutional Amendment Number 19 Bill that gives legal effect to the formation of an all-inclusive Government in Zimbabwe.

Clause 15 of the Bill stipulates that the Executive shall consist of a President, two Vice-Presidents, Prime Minister, two deputy prime ministers, 31 ministers and 15 deputy ministers.

The Bill formalizes these posts and institutions that were created by the Global Political Agreement signed by President Mugabe and the oppositions leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Professor Arthur Mutambara on September 15.
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In the deal – facilitated by the former South African President Thabo Mbeki – Tsvangirai who heads the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) would become the prime minister while President Mugabe retains his post. Prof. Mutambara, leader of the smaller faction of the MDC becomes deputy PM.

South African President Kgalema Motlanthe – who is the current chairman of the rotating chairmanship of Sadc - Saturday welcomed the amendment published in the official gazette.

In a statement Motlanthe said: "The gazetting of Amendment 19 of the Zimbabwean Constitution is indeed a major step towards the formation of an inclusive government in Zimbabwe."

He urged Zimbabwe's political parties "to establish an inclusive government as envisaged in the Global Agreement" and said South Africa and the Sadc "stand ready to assist the people of Zimbabwe as they embark on the difficult road towards the reconstruction and development of their country.

"We understand too well that this will indeed not be an easy task, however, with the support of Sadc, AU and the rest of the international community the Zimbabwean people will and must succeed," Motlanthe said.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister and Zanu PF chief negotiator in the power-sharing talks, Patrick Chinamasa was quoted by The Herald saying if the bill does not sail through, President Mugabe would call for fresh polls.

"I envisage that it will require two weeks for it to be debated and passed through both Houses. If no support is forthcoming, it means that Amendment Number 19 Bill will be dead matter," Chinamasa told the daily paper.

"In the event that the collaboration that we envisage is not forthcoming, then that will necessitate fresh harmonised elections at some point in time."

President Mugabe has also twice hinted at the possibility of fresh elections should the September power-sharing deal fail to get off the ground.

It is now unclear whether the MDC-T party will support the passage of the Bill.

The party was insisting that before the Bill is gazetted all outstanding power-sharing issues must be settled, i.e. the allocation of Ministerial posts [and therefore the composition of the Cabinet] in the proposed all-inclusive Government, the distribution of ambassadorial posts and provincial governorships, and the functions and composition of the National Security Council.

DPA/TZG