SUMMARY OF NEW CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS.
- Retain the two-term limit for the President, but extend the presidential term to five years.
- Lower the minimum presidential age from 40 to 30 years.
- Subject the President to taxation, including indirect taxes, like all citizens.
- Replace Article 71 arrangements with an Independent Public Emoluments Commission to determine salaries and benefits.
- Limit post-presidency immunity, allowing civil actions anytime and criminal actions within four years after leaving office.
- Decouple ministers from Parliament: MPs cannot be appointed ministers or deputy ministers.
- Cap the size of government at a maximum of 57 ministers, including deputies and regional ministers.
- Deepen political and fiscal decentralisation, including the election of MMDCEs.
- Make censure binding: a censured minister must be dismissed and cannot be reappointed during the same term.
- Reform public appointments by classifying offices as executive, independent, or hybrid, and bind the President to advice where independence is required.
- Restrict presidential powers during the post-election transition period.
- Shift presidential elections to November to allow a longer transition period.
- Cap Parliament at 276 MPs and reform constituency demarcation to prevent malapportionment.
- Study the adoption of proportional representation to improve inclusion of women, youth, and smaller parties.
- Strengthen parliamentary independence by allowing caucuses to elect and remove their own leaders.
- Allow dual citizens by birth to contest parliamentary elections.
- Require public officers to resign, with a cooling-off period, before contesting elections.
- Extend Parliament’s term to five years, aligned with the presidential term.
- Require open and recorded votes on constitutional amendment bills.
- Curb abuse of the certificate of urgency with strict safeguards.
- Constitutionally guarantee public participation in law-making.
- Strengthen conflict-of-interest rules and replace MPs’ gratuities with a pension scheme.
- Restructure the Electoral Commission to a Commissioner and two Deputies only.
- Appoint EC leadership through a merit-based, independent nomination process, subject to parliamentary approval.
- Provide single, non-renewable 10-year terms and enforce cooling-off periods after service.
- Strengthen the independence, funding, and mandates of the NCCE and NMC.
- Make the National Development Plan BINDING on BUDGET and LEGISLATION.
source:www.senaradioonline.com
