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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 29634, member: 2262"] Zimbabwe runs its country based on laws spelled out in its Constitution. Back in 2013, the people of Zimbabwe voted for a brand new Constitution. This replaced their old one from 1979. The government had tried once before, in 2000, to change these laws, but voters said no. The President signed the new Constitution into law on May 22, 2013. It has 326 sections plus 18 schedules that cover many important topics. These include citizenship rules, human rights protections, powers of leaders, land rights, and how local areas govern themselves. The document serves as the highest law in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe first became independent with the Lancaster House Constitution of 1979. This happened after the Rhodesian Bush War ended through peace talks. Their system then had a Prime Minister who ran the government. That first Constitution protected basic rights like fair trials, free speech, and voting. Zimbabwe tried changing its Constitution in February 2000. The government set up a special commission in 1997 to review the old rules. They drafted new ideas that went through parliament debates and many changes before asking citizens to vote on them. Two main political parties fought hard over these proposed changes. ZANU-PF, the ruling party, supported the new Constitution. The opposition party, MDC, fought against it because they felt it didn't go far enough for democracy and human rights. When people voted, about 55% rejected the proposed changes. Years passed with political problems and money troubles in Zimbabwe. The government tried again in 2009 by creating a Constitutional Select Committee. The committee talked with regular citizens across the country to help write a better Constitution. This committee finished a draft, which went to Parliament for discussion. On March 16, 2013, Zimbabweans voted on this newer Constitution. It made big changes like limiting presidential powers, spreading authority to local areas, and protecting basic human rights. Both major political parties eventually supported it. The voting happened peacefully without any major problems reported. Almost everyone approved this Constitution, with 93% voting yes. It became official on May 22, 2013. This legal change cleared the path for national elections later that year in July. During those elections, President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party won again. [/QUOTE]

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