By Sharon Tawuya
Harare, (New Ziana)- Parliament on Friday adjourned debate on Constitutional Amendment Bill Number Three to next week, with early indications showing it is headed for adoption by the legislature.
The Bill, among other things, proposes lengthening the country’s national electoral cycle from five to seven years, and abolishing the direct election of the President by the electorate in favour of legislators.
Debate on the Bill started this week, and was adjourned to next week Tuesday.
In Friday’s debate, like most days in the week, legislators overwhelmingly supported the passage of the Bill, citing benefits such as reducing electoral tensions, and giving an incumbent government more time to implement its development agenda.
Masvingo North MP, Brian Mudhumi, in supporting the adoption of the Bill, argued that governance systems must be responsive to evolving national realities.
“Countries with progressive democracy always have their Constitutions under checks,” he said.
Mutoko South MP Isaac Tasikani said his constituents particularly supported election of the President by a joint sitting of Parliament and Senate as well as the proposed seven year electoral term.
Bikita West MP, Daniel Makusha, meanwhile, cited the proposal to return the voter’s roll to the Registrar General’s Office, in supporting the passage of the Bill.
For Mutoko East MP, Richard Musiyiwa, it was the lengthened electoral cycle to ‘allow continuity of various ongoing government projects’ that swayed him to back the Bill.
But Chitungwiza North MP, Godfrey Sithole, opposed the Bill, saying it disenfranchised the electorate.
“We cannot debate the extension of our own term,” he said.
New Ziana
