Zimbabwe will on Tuesday table the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill in the National Assembly for its first reading, as government moves to complete the constitutional process by the end of June and advance proposals that include extending the presidential term.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi will introduce the Bill, which was gazetted on 16 February and recently underwent public consultations that closed on 18 May.
The Bill has drawn significant attention from political, business and civil society groups, marking one of the most closely watched legislative processes of the year.
Ziyambi said he has already notified the Speaker of Parliament and expects the second reading to follow on Wednesday, with MPs given space to debate the proposals once parliamentary committees present their findings.
Government approved the Bill in February, setting a target to finalise all legislative steps by the end of June.
The amendment seeks to extend the presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, transfer the functions of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission to the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, and repeal Section 281(2), which bars traditional leaders from participating in partisan politics.
The Bill now enters the formal parliamentary stage, where lawmakers will debate its provisions before it proceeds to subsequent readings and voting.
Authorities say the process is intended to be completed swiftly to allow the country to focus on other national priorities.
JN/APA