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Amendment 19 Gazetted

By admin
for ZimEye.org

Published: December 13, 2008

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By Blessing Chapwati

 

 

Harare(ZimEye)Constitutional Amendment Number 19, which gives legal effect to Zimbabwe’s inclusive Government agreement was gazetted on Saturday but still awaits parliamentary approval before being passed into law.

The Bill, agreed on and initialed by negotiators from ZANU-PF and the two formations of the MDC in South Africa on November 27 is most likely be tabled before Parliament mid-January 2009.

President Robert Mugabe could sign it into law by February if all parties consent to it.

It is still doubtful if the bill will be debated against the background of the parties insisting on their earlier positions which has in the past resulted in serious disagreements over the formation of an inclusive government.

According to the gazette, no decisions shall be made without prior consultation between the executive President and Prime Minister or between the parties to the all inclusive government.

In the event that the constitutional amendment Bill does not sail through parliament, fresh elections to elect the house of assembly, senate and president are to be held.

Parliament which has not been sitting in recent past will have to be reconvened to debate the gazetted bill.

On Saturday, ZANU PF’s chief negotiator in the talks to form a new government Patrick Chinamasa said it was now up to the parties to ensure the Bill becomes an Act, failure to which fresh elections will have to be held.

“As the public would know, no party in Parliament has a two-thirds majority to ensure passage of the amendment. This means that the Bill will only become law if fully supported by all signatories to the September 15 agreement.
“The gazetting of the amendment is a clarion call to all political parties to demonstrate their commitment in letter and spirit to the inter-party political agreement. If everything goes according to plan, the Bill can be put before any of the Houses 30 days following its gazetting.
“I envisage that it will require two weeks for it to be debated and passed through both Houses. If no support is forthcoming, it means that Amendment Number 19 Bill will be dead matter. In the event that the collaboration that we envisage is not forthcoming, then that will necessitate fresh harmonized elections at some point in time.


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