By Staff Writer
The Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB 3) is set for debate in the National Assembly this Thursday after receiving its Second Reading from Justice amid rising tensions on the country’s political terrain.
Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi effected a second reading of the Bill Wednesday.
Presenting the Bill, Minister Ziyambi told legislators that observer reports from the African Union (AU), SADC and the Commonwealth have repeatedly raised concerns over disputes surrounding Zimbabwe’s elections, lack of transparency and weakening public trust in electoral outcomes.
He said this reflects the need to remove conflicts associated with perennial elections.
“Mr Speaker Sir, Nic Cheeseman, writing in the Journal of Modern African Studies, finds that electoral disputes of this kind foster chronic instability. The second affliction, Mr Speaker Sir, is policy paralysis born of perpetual political campaigning,” said Ziyambi.
He added that Zimbabwe’s current five-year electoral cycle often disrupts long-term national development programmes.
“Our short five-year terms tend to trap those in office in a continuous election mode, derailing and delaying the long programmes a developing nation such as ours critically depends upon,” he said.
Meanwhile, the opposition forces and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have since criticized the legal instrument arguing the stats being publicized on its overwhelming support are cooked up.
Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi has warned against any attempts to cause civil unrest during the parliamentary debate.
Nyathi said any individuals seeking to incite revolt or chaos would face the full force of the law.
“Any attempt to influence Zimbabweans to revolt against the Government, destroy property, affect the smooth flow of traffic and cause alarm and chaos will be responded to appropriately by the Police through the full wrath of the law,” Nyathi said in a statement.
