An election is an opportunity for people to choose their leaders.
There are a number of electoral systems obtaining the world over the most popular of which are the first past the post system, the proportional representation system and the hybrid system comprising the two.
a) What type of electoral system should Zimbabwe have?
- First past the post?
- Proportional representation?
- Hybrid?
b) How often should we have elections for:
-Head of State?
-Head of government?
-Parliament?
-Local government?
c) Should we have harmonized elections for the Head of State and/or Head of government, parliament and local government?
d) Who qualifies to register as a voter and to vote at elections for the Head of State and/or Head of government, parliament and local authorities?
e) What body should run elections and what should be its powers and functions?
f) Should Zimbabweans living in the Diaspora be allowed to vote?
g) Should voter registration be mandatory?
h) Should the constitution incorporate international treaties, conventions, protocols and practices dealing with free and fair elections?
i) How should we deal with electoral disputes?
j) Should there be term limits for elected officials?
k) In the event of vacancies arising, how should these be filled?
l) Should a specific time frame be given for the inauguration into office of the President, Prime Minister, Members of Parliament, Cabinet and Councilors?
m) If there are term limits, should the person whose term has expired run for another post?
n) If the Head of State and/or Head of government becomes incapacitated, who should run the country before an election is held and how long should it take for such an election to be held?
o) How long after the referendum should the constitution come into force?
p) Under what circumstances should a candidate be barred from standing in an election?
q) Who should assist those unable to vote on their own?
r) How many Parliamentary constituencies should the country be divided into?
First Past the Post System
This where by the person with the highest number of votes becomes the elected representative of the electorate?
Proportional Representation
This is a system by which the elected people are determined by the proportion of votes obtained by each party
Hybrid System
This is where some of the representatives are elected on the basis of the first past the post system and others on the basis of proportional representation
INDEPENDENT COMMISSIONS ANTI-CORRUPTION/ MEDIA/HUMAN RIGHTS/ PUBLIC PROTECTOR/ELECTORAL
Independent commissions are constitutional watchdogs for monitoring and implementation of their areas of specialty.
a) What should be the mandate and functions of the Anti- Corruption/Media/Human Rights Commissions, Public Protector, Electoral Commission?
b) What should be their composition?
c) How and by whom should they be appointed?
d) What should their qualifications be?
e) What other executive commissions and organs should we have? f) What should be their functions?
g) How should their members be appointed?
h) Who should they be accountable to?