Zimbabwe's Parliament meets for a new session on Tuesday that will consider two major pieces of legislation, one to give the president considerable sway in appointing a successor and another to nationalise foreign firms.Robert Mugabe, who has ruled the former British colony since independence in 1980, is seeking to consolidate power in the face of growing discontent at home and abroad over policies that critics say have plunged the economy into crisis.
Political analysts said the veteran leader, re-energised by the support from regional leaders at a summit last week, wants to quickly ram through legislation enabling Parliament to pick a successor if a vacancy arose mid-term and an economic empowerment Bill to nationalise foreign-owned firms.
Critics, including the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), say the plans would hurt an economy already enduring the world's highest inflation rate, above 4 500%, and increase political tension.
"Mugabe will feel re-invigorated by events at the SADC [Southern African Development Community] meeting and I have no doubt he will move with speed to make sure that legislation is passed by Parliament," Eldred Masunungure, a political science lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, said. "The cost of nationalisation to the economy is great but that is not a matter that would worry the government. Its goal is to maintain power at all cost."
The Constitutional Amendment Bill seeks to merge presidential, parliamentary and council elections but analysts say a clause allowing Parliament to choose a new president if a vacancy arose in between elections would give Mugabe room to manoeuvre a dignified exit. Mugabe (83) plans to stand for another five-year term next year but political analysts say he may seek to retire mid-term and would be able to anoint a successor if the legislation were passed because Parliament is dominated by his Zanu-PF party.