Harare, (New Ziana)- Parliamentary debate on the draft Constitutional Amendment Bill Number Three concluded on Wednesday, and proceedings immediately moved to the committee stage of the legislature where parliamentarians will examine, and where agreed necessary, amend the text of the bill.
An overwhelming number of legislators supported the adoption of the bill, which among other things, lengthens the national election cycles from five years to seven, and provides for the election of the President by parliament instead of the electorate.
At committee stage, parliamentarians will scrutinise the bill clause by clause, making amendments where agreed necessary, before dispatching it to the next legislative stage.
Responding to issues raised by legislators in the debates, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said all parliamentarians who sought to debate got the opportunity to do so.
He said legislators across the political divide agreed that the the Gender Commission should remain in place, but there was division over whether traditional leaders should belong to political parties.
The two are other provisions in the draft bill.
But Ziyambi dismissed propositions to subject the bill to a referendum.
New Ziana
