Parliament Races Against Time To Amend Electoral Act
Parliament is rushing to have the Electoral Act amended and has invoked guidelines to fast-track the proposed laws so that they apply to this year’s general elections.
Any electoral legislation that will be passed once President Emmerson Mnangagwa proclaims an election date will not apply to the 2023 general elections.
Over the past weekend, State media quoted Mnangagwa as saying he would proclaim the election date on Monday but this did not happen as Members of Parliament are still to finalise amending the Electoral Act.
The Electoral Amendment Bill will operationalise the latest constitutional amendments for the election of 10 youth members to the National Assembly, one from each province, as well as the continued election of 60 women, six from each province, to the National Assembly under a quota system, among others.
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi has since invoked guidelines to fast-track the process of amending the Electoral Act.
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Speaking in the National Assembly (the Lower House of Parliament) recently, Ziyambi said:
The provisions of Standing Orders Number 53, 66 (2), 144, and 147 regarding the automatic adjournment of the House at Five minutes to Seven O’clock p.m. on sitting days other than a Friday and at Twenty-Five minutes past One O’clock on a Friday, Private Members motions taking precedence on Wednesdays after question time, procedures in connection with Parliamentary Legal Committee and Stages of Bills respectively be suspended with effect from today and for the next series of sittings in respect of Government business. I so submit.
In an interview with State media, ZEC chief elections officer Utloile Silaigwana said:
Ordinarily, any law that changes after the proclamation has no effect on the way elections are going to be conducted.
It is up to the legislators if they legislate early enough then that will have an effect in the coming elections. But if they don’t then they will be out of time.
Silaigwana said ZEC does not come up with electoral reforms as it is the role of Parliament to enact laws governing the running of elections.
He added that ZEC can only recommend certain reforms, but it’s up to Parliament to come up with electoral reforms where it’s necessary.
More: Pindula News
