By Prince Gora
Should we keep on sending non-performing MPs for the sake of balancing gender only? Or should we do more?
Here is my take on the PR system beyond 2023.
In October 2019, the government gazetted Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 2, which seeks to introduce several amendments to the 2013 Constitution.
Parliamentary Consultations on this Second Amendment are set to start shortly which has opened pertinent conversations about the proposed ammendments.
Today, I want to specially focus on the women’s quota (PR system).
According to the 2013 constitution, the PR system was set to end after 10 years but if the Constitutional Ammendment Bill No.2 is to be adopted, then the PR system will continue beyond 2023.
…but do we really need it? Has it achieved enough thus far to merit a continuation?
Has it politically empowered women in such a way that come next election, women who were previously in parly based on the quota system can not only directly contest, but contest and win?
Personally I have a number of issues concerning the current qouta system and as women and youth go out for Parliamentary public consultations beginning this week, I would like them to voice out these issues.
I suggest that the qouta system be continued but with these reforms:
1) A ballot be available for the selection of women for PR in each province.
Let’s get women electing other women in their provinces with the top 6 going to parliament.
In this way candidates will have an opportunity to either contest as independent or under a political party. The party list system is exclusionary and subject to abuse by party bigwigs which is why the media is awash with claims and counter claims that PR MP y and x got in parly through the bedroom. Let’s do away with PR women who serve party political masters.
By being directly elected by other women, they will also have direct constituencies which the current quota system does not provide. They will have a people to which they can report back to.
2) Let’s put limits to women who are participating in PR.
The major purpose of a PR system is to mentor young women, isn’t it? If so, I think we need an age limit, is it not possible to say anyone above 35 or 50 isn’t eligible to contest under PR? I say this because many women in parliament through the PR system right now are just old women sleeping day in, day out without any serious political future.
Secondly, I think people who have previously saved as MPs before (both as PR and/ constituent MP) should not be allowed to go back in parliament through the PR system, they need to leave that space for others.
We’ve people like Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga who has been in Parliament twice before but is now back in parliament as a PR MP
. Isn’t that defeating the whole purpose of PR? Are we not recycling “dead wood” in the name of political empowerment for women?
3) Let’s make the political environment more friendly and safe for women.
While the PR system is trying to balance the numbers in parliament, it’s failure to achieve a 50-50 gender balance can be attributed to a political environment that is not friendly for women.
This needs to be tackled to ensure equal participation of males and females in politics and parliament.
The ongoing brutality being perpetuated at Netsai, Cecilia and Joana, for example, will only serve to scare young women away from politics.
Most women fear for their lives and dignity because of what they see happening to other women in politics.
There is need to level the playing field in such a way that we can have more women participating in politics.
To conclude, I think we need to continue with the PR system and even introduce it to youths (but not with the paltry 10 seats that were proposed by the government) but we need to reform it!
