Zimbabwe's national assembly approves controversial constitutional amendment

Zimbabwe’s Constitution Amendment Bill (No. 3) cleared a major legislative hurdle on Thursday after the National Assembly approved the controversial legislation with the constitutionally required two-thirds majority, setting the stage for a decisive battle in the Senate. [ . . . ] Before the final vote, the government agreed to withdraw two of the most contentious provisions contained in the original Bill. Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi confirmed that proposals to merge the Zimbabwe Gender Commission with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission had been abandoned following recommendations from Parliament’s Joint Committee and overwhelming opposition from legislators. The government also dropped provisions that would have allowed traditional leaders to participate in partisan politics. [ . . . ] Despite those concessions, the core provisions of the Bill remain intact. Among the most consequential proposals are changes that would shift Zimbabwe from direct presidential elections to an indirect parliamentary election model while extending the national electoral cycle from five years to seven years.
Read the full article here: The Zimbabwe Mail