Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has refuted claims that he plans to seek a third term, emphasizing his respect for the Constitution.
According to the Constitution, the president is limited to serving a maximum of two terms, provided each of those terms lasts three or more years.
A presidential term is five years, and after completing two consecutive terms, a president becomes ineligible to seek re-election.
During an exclusive interview with editors Munyaradzi Huni and Baffour Ankomah of “Brick by Brick” magazine, Mnangagwa clarified that allegations of his intention to run for a third term are unfounded. He said:
Well, I am very happy that Zimbabweans are very imaginative.
They can imagine about anything, which shows there is democracy in the country, you see.
But we in ZANU PF are very democratic and we obey the Constitution.
There is not an iota of evidence where ZANU PF or I, as President, has ever expressed the violation of our Constitution.
But we allow people to dream properly or widely.
They will still wake up and find things are working and the Constitution hasn’t changed.
The National Constitution stipulates that extending presidential term limits would require amending Section 91 of the supreme law, which disqualifies a person “for election as President or appointment as Vice President if he or she has already held office as President for two terms, whether continuous or not, and for the purpose of this subsection three or more years’ service is deemed to be a full term”.
The Bill containing the amendment must be passed by a two-thirds majority in both the National Assembly and the Senate.
Section 328 (7) does not allow an incumbent to extend the period he may hold office. It reads:
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an amendment to a term-limit provision the effect of which is to extend the length of time that a person may hold or occupy any public office, does not apply in relation to any person who held or occupied that office, or an equivalent office, at any time before the amendment.
Therefore, amending Section 91 to extend presidential term limits will apply only to future Heads of State.
Section 328 (7) can only be amended through a referendum, as set out under Section 328 (9) of the Constitution.
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