Source: BBC’s unbalanced ‘power grab’ story queried – herald
Gibson Nyikadzino
Zimpapers Politics Hub
Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications), Mr George Charamba, has queried a BBC’s story on the country’s Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill, which bizarrely described the initiative as a “power grab”.
The BBC, through its Zimbabwe correspondent, insinuated that Zanu PF was “attempting a power grab through proposed constitutional changes that would let Parliament elect the President and extend the term from five to seven years”.
The story gives prominence to three voices of opposition political activists, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, Mr Tendai Biti and Professor Lovemore Madhuku, while drowning voices of people supporting the changes.
From Zanu PF, the story only sought comment from Treasurer Cde Patrick Chinamasa.
Writing on his X handle, Mr Charamba said: “How is the British Premier put in Number 10 Downing Street? Through direct universal suffrage? And why is the British opposition not fretful?”
The proposed constitutional reforms seek to abolish direct Presidential elections, shifting the responsibility of electing the Head of State and Government from the people to Parliament, a similar practice in several jurisdictions.
In Britain’s general election, voters elect a candidate to represent their constituency in the House of Commons. After the general election, the leader of the party with the most parliamentarians is asked by the King to become the Prime Minister and to form a government.
The leader of the party with the second highest number of MPs becomes the Leader of the Opposition.
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