Mberengwa East legislator Marko Raidza says he supports the idea of removing the running-mates clause because the President cannot work with a Vice President who has been elected by people.
Zanu PF is against the running-mates clause which is supposed to kick in the 2023 general elections.
According to the clause, the two Vice Presidents will be ranked and voted for together with the President in elections.
Currently, only the President is voted for and he then appoints his deputies. This arrangement is said to be dangerous especially with factional fights in the ruling party.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Honourable Raidza said, “I will talk on the issue of running mates of the President, where the contesting President has to choose who his running mates are. In our Constitution, they are supposed to be voted into power just like how we vote into power the President.
“This amendment seeks to remove this section and say Vice Presidents should not be voted into power but only the President should be voted into power. I am in support of this.
The President should be the only one to be voted into power and then he will choose his running mates. It will be difficult for a President to work with Vice Presidents who were voted into power by the people. Therefore, the President should choose who he wants to work with,” he said.
Honourable Raidza added that Vice Presidents who are directly elected by voters tend to be a problem because they will not listen to the President.
“He (President) is the focal person, and he is the point of contact for everyone. All the questions come to the President and he is the one who is above. He is consulted and he is supposed to respond.
“Vice Presidents should be appointed by the President who will be working with them, this will assist him because he will be having good relations with those he would have chosen.
“If they are voted into power, there is a bit of a challenge in them assuming their roles, because each individual among those Vice Presidents will say I was also voted into power just like you – so there may be some conflicts,” he said.
