Vote on Constitutional Amendment Bill expected this week

Zimbabwe's Parliament is expected to vote on the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill (No. 3) by the end of this week, marking a critical stage in a legislative process that could significantly reshape the country's governance, electoral system and institutional framework.

The National Assembly is scheduled to resume sittings on Tuesday after adjournment on Friday, with debate on the proposed amendments expected to conclude before lawmakers move to the committee stage and eventual voting.

The Bill has attracted intense public and political interest because of its far-reaching proposals, including changes to presidential elections, electoral cycles and the administration of voter registration.

Most legislators who contributed to debate during the past week, including some opposition members, expressed support for the amendments, arguing that they would promote political stability, policy continuity and long-term national development.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi is expected to respond to issues raised during debate before the second reading stage is concluded.

Government officials have, however, indicated that some legislators opposed to the Bill may attempt to delay proceedings through extended debate and procedural objections.

ZANU PF Chief Whip Pupurai Togarepi said Parliament was likely to proceed to voting before the end of the week.

"Voting will mainly depend on debates currently taking place; however, we expect the voting to take place on Thursday or Friday," he said.

Minister Ziyambi said the exact timing remained uncertain because debate was still ongoing, but Government expected the legislative process, including Senate consideration, to be completed before the end of June.

"It is very hard to predict when voting is expected to begin in Parliament given that we are likely to have legislators that will continue registering to debate, raising objections and at times displaying rowdy behaviour to delay the process," he said.

"So, we are now at the second reading and we will have debates and the Bill will then go to the committee stage where we will look at the Bill clause by clause.

"During the third stage, thereafter voting takes place. However, we expect that by end of June this whole process will be complete."

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Eddison Zvobgo, said lawmakers would examine and vote on each clause individually once debate is completed.

"After debating, then MPs will go into voting clause by clause. Thereafter, there will be adoption of the Bill before it is sent to Senate for their input," he said.

If approved by the National Assembly, the Bill will be transmitted to the Senate for consideration. Should senators endorse the proposed amendments, the legislation will return to the lower house for formal adoption during the third reading stage.

"If the Senate agrees with changes, the Bill will come back to the National Assembly for third reading to formally adopt the finished product," Zvobgo explained.

Following parliamentary approval, the Bill will be submitted to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for assent before publication in the Government Gazette, at which point the amendments would become part of the Constitution.

According to a report adopted by Parliament from the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the proposed amendments received significant support during the public consultation process.

The report indicates that more than 530,000 written submissions supported the Bill, while 2,935 opposed it.

Among the most notable proposals is the replacement of direct presidential elections with a parliamentary electoral system in which the President would be elected by Parliament rather than by popular vote.

Supporters of the proposal argued that such a system would strengthen cooperation between the Executive and Legislature, improve policy alignment and reduce the costs associated with nationwide presidential elections.

The Bill also proposes extending the terms of office for both the President and Parliament from five years to seven years.

According to the committee report, supporters believe longer electoral cycles would reduce political tensions associated with frequent elections, lower public expenditure and provide governments with greater time to implement long-term development programmes.

"The majority argued that extended electoral cycles defuse the political toxicity inherent in election seasons, providing the Government with the necessary time horizon to fully implement long-term projects while ensuring policy stability and continuity," the report states.

Another significant proposal seeks to transfer responsibility for voter registration and management of the voters' roll from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to the Registrar-General's Office.

Supporters argued that the Registrar-General, as custodian of national records, would be better placed to maintain accurate and up-to-date voter information.

However, the committee noted that opponents raised concerns about transparency and accountability, arguing that voter registration responsibilities had previously been removed from the Registrar-General's Office to strengthen public confidence in electoral processes.

Gazetted on February 16, the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill (No. 3) has undergone the mandatory 90-day public consultation process and is now approaching one of its most important legislative milestones.

Government says the amendments are intended to improve institutional efficiency, strengthen constitutional governance and create a more stable framework for long-term national development, while critics argue that some of the proposed changes could fundamentally alter Zimbabwe's democratic and electoral architecture.

The coming parliamentary vote is therefore expected to be one of the most consequential legislative decisions of the current parliamentary term.