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House of Assembly passes the 18th Constitutional Amendment
MISA-Zimbabwe
September 19, 2007

In a rather surprising and shocking move, House of Assembly members from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the ruling ZANU PF on 18 September 2007 unanimously agreed on the proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 18) which seeks to harmonize presidential and parliamentary elections.

While in the original text the President was going to appoint ten Non-Constitution Members of the House of Assembly, this has now been changed and members of the House of Assembly have agreed that Zimbabwe will now be divided into 210 House of Assembly Constituencies with all members being directly elected by voters registered in the 210 constituencies to be delimitated following the passage of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Number 18 Bill.

The Senate will now be constituted by 93 members made up with 6 Senators per province directly elected by voters registered in the 60 Senatorial constituencies, 10 Provincial Governors appointed by the President in terms of legislation governing the appointment of Governors, 16 chiefs, being two chiefs from each of the provinces other than metropolitan provinces, the president and deputy president of the Council of Chiefs together with 5 Senators appointed by the President.

Instead of the delimitation Commission which has traditionally deliminated constituencies, the role now falls to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to deliminate House of Assembly and Senatorial constituencies together with local authority wards.

House of Assembly Members also agreed that all four elections for President, House of Assembly, Senatorial and Local Authorities are to be synchronized and take place on one day.

MISA-Zimbabwe rejects the piece-meal amendments and reiterates its call for a people driven constitution.

Visit the MISA-Zimbabwe fact sheet

 

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