File: President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa looks on as he addresses a press conference at State House in Harare.
HARARE - Zimbabwe president Emmerson Mnangagwa and his supporters want to extend his rule.
But the country's retired army generals, war veterans and senior civil servants, are having none of it.
They have written to Speaker of Parliament to challenge this proposal.
The group, led by retired Air Marshall Henry Muchena said they fought the liberation war to give the majority a voice, and not the ruling elite.
Their concerns are in opposition to the Speaker of Parliament's recently gazetted constitutional amendment bill giving MPs the power to choose the President.
They want the amendment has to stopped.
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"As the workers being employed by the very people who created the constitution and then we come around and said we want to change it. We are telling the people that have employed us that we are changing the constitution it is not right. My conscience would not even allow that. That is the reason why the retired generals, senior civil servants are coming up to join the condemnations of the amendment,” said Ethan Mathibela, War Veterans Leader.
Political analyst Blessing Vava said going ahead with the amendment is a recipe for disaster for the country and for the region.
“The sooner that Zanu PF and president Mnangagwa abandons these amendments the better for the country. We have also witnessed the current violence that is happening in the country.
I fear that as we are going for the public consultations, I fear that there is going to be more violence and Zimbabweans are not going to participate freely and this has a potential of distabilising the country because these amendments are clearly unpopular."
Zimbabweans have 90 days to comment on the bill, before it moves through the two houses of Parliament for adoption.