Online Reporter
Farirai Machivenyika-Senior Reporter
DEBATE on the Constitutional Amendment No.3 Bill continued in the National Assembly yesterday, with the House winding up submissions in the second reading stage.
The House has already suspended its other business to prioritise debate on the historic Bill.
Yesterday, the House also agreed to reduce the time allocated to individual MPs to debate during this stage from 20 minutes to 10 minutes to enable more legislators to air their views.
The second reading stage is designed to allow full debate on the merits of the Bill and precedes the committee stage where each clause is dealt with separately.
Harare Metropolitan Province proportional representation MP Cde Nyasha Chikwinya said the Bill was important in fulfilling development aspirations.
“The Bill will enable the country to focus on development projects as we carry over our struggle for self-determination that began during the First Chimurenga,” she said.
Uzumba legislator Cde Wiriranai Muchemwa said President Mnangagwa and the Second Republic had completed tangible development projects across the country and the extension of the electoral cycle from five years to seven years would assist in the completion of outstanding projects.
Cde Faith Makaza, a proportional representative MP from Masvingo Province, said she supported the Bill as it prioritised long-term development aspirations of the country.
“The proposal to extend the country’s electoral cycle will increase focus on development instead of politics, which has stunted development and caused divisions in the past,” she said.
Cde Lillian Zemura said the CAB3 was a progressive Bill, but cautioned against disbanding the Zimbabwe Gender Commission.
