Fears are growing in opposition circles in Zimbabwe that the ruling Zanu-PF party is making a new grab for power as it presses ahead with constitutional amendments aimed at giving parliament - rather than voters - the right to elect the president and to extend his term from five to seven years.
This is a coup, a slow coup that is unfolding in Zimbabwe, veteran opposition politician and former finance minister Tendai Biti told the BBC.
But Zanu-PF - in power since independence in 1980 - has vehemently defended the proposed changes. There's nothing that stops us to change, to go to another system that's less costly, less controversial, party spokesman Patrick Chinamasa said.
The conflicting views highlight the deep polarization that draft legislation - aimed at changing the constitution - has caused, pitting Zanu-PF and opposition supporters against each other.
Public hearings held recently to express views on the proposed shake-up have revealed a divided sentiment:
- Presidential elections - held since 1990 - being scrapped
- Parliamentary and presidential terms being extended from five to seven years
- Parliamentary elections scheduled for 2028 being delayed to 2030
- President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose second and final term is due to end in 2028, remaining in office until 2030
- The new parliament electing the next president.
Supporters of the bill claim it will reduce violence associated with electoral campaigns, but critics, including numerous opposition figures, view it as a direct threat to democracy.
Amid public hearings, disturbances broke out as pro-Zanu-PF supporters allegedly stifled dissent from critics of the bill. Critics express that systematic repression is returning, reminiscent of the Mugabe era, igniting fears among wider segments of the population.
As the parliamentary vote on the bill approaches, activists warn of losing hard-fought democratic rights, with calls for a referendum on any constitutional changes going unheard, further deepening the crisis in Zimbabwean democracy.
This is a coup, a slow coup that is unfolding in Zimbabwe, veteran opposition politician and former finance minister Tendai Biti told the BBC.
But Zanu-PF - in power since independence in 1980 - has vehemently defended the proposed changes. There's nothing that stops us to change, to go to another system that's less costly, less controversial, party spokesman Patrick Chinamasa said.
The conflicting views highlight the deep polarization that draft legislation - aimed at changing the constitution - has caused, pitting Zanu-PF and opposition supporters against each other.
Public hearings held recently to express views on the proposed shake-up have revealed a divided sentiment:
- Presidential elections - held since 1990 - being scrapped
- Parliamentary and presidential terms being extended from five to seven years
- Parliamentary elections scheduled for 2028 being delayed to 2030
- President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose second and final term is due to end in 2028, remaining in office until 2030
- The new parliament electing the next president.
Supporters of the bill claim it will reduce violence associated with electoral campaigns, but critics, including numerous opposition figures, view it as a direct threat to democracy.
Amid public hearings, disturbances broke out as pro-Zanu-PF supporters allegedly stifled dissent from critics of the bill. Critics express that systematic repression is returning, reminiscent of the Mugabe era, igniting fears among wider segments of the population.
As the parliamentary vote on the bill approaches, activists warn of losing hard-fought democratic rights, with calls for a referendum on any constitutional changes going unheard, further deepening the crisis in Zimbabwean democracy.
