Zimbabwe’s National Assembly on Thursday, June 18, voted to pass a constitutional amendment bill, which seeks to extend President Emmerson Mnangawa’s term of office. The bill secured an overwhelming 216 votes to 42. The ruling ZANU-PF partym which already held a majority in the National Assembly, received decisive additional backing from 38 members of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), who voted in favour of the bill. The bill proposes extending presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years. It also changes election of president from direct vote to selection by parliament. ALSO READ: Zimbabwe case sparks calls for fairer carbon markets ahead of Africa summit in Kigali The landmark legislation, which required a two-thirds majority to pass, will now proceed to the Senate for debate and possible amendments - and a return to the lower house if changes happen in the upper house - before going to the Presidency for assent. Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda announced that 216 legislators voted in favour of the legislation - 42 against. The constitution requires at least 187 affirmative votes. The bill also introduces major adjustments to electoral bodies, including the transferring voters’ registration and boundary-drawing powers away from the broader Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to other institutional bodies. Provisions in the bill include restricting certain historical constraints on the executive, altering qualifications for the Attorney-General, appointment of judges and allowing the President to appoint 10 additional senators to bring technical expertise into Parliament.
