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The biggest political opposition in the country MDC Alliance has condemned the recent passing of Amendment Bill No.2 through Parliament, while saying democracy has faced its death in the country.
MDC Alliance states that the new amendments are just meant to install excess powers which will go unchecked while infringing on people’s rights.
Constitutional Amendment Bill (Number 2) sailed through on Tuesday after it got the required two-thirds majority.
The Bill will extend the tenure of senior judges, who will now be appointed by the president in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, instead of being subjected to public interviews as is the case now.
In a statement condemning the new bill, the MDC Alliance said, “The imminent amendments have
nothing to do with enhancing the rights of the people or improving on human rights
and democracy, transparency and good governance. “
“Rather they are designed to entrench an imperial executive whose power is not adequately checked and balanced.”
MDC alliance added that those who have shamefully voted ‘Yes’ to the amendments are complicit in the
destruction of our democracy and the citizens are the last line of defense against bad Governance and the unadulterated supreme law of the country.
The bill, which now goes to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for his assent, was passed by 65 Senators including 11 from the MDC-T, and opposed by 10 other opposition lawmakers. The bill required a two-thirds majority – or 54 votes – to pass through the Senate.
MDC Alliance said that “We are not surprised that Parliamentarians under the control of Mr Mwonzora voted in support of the amendments alongside ZANU PF. The data shows that without the
vote of Parliamentarians who fall under Mr Mwonzoras party, the regime would not
have had the required two-thirds majority to amend the Constitution.”
Mwonzora notably voted against the bill, but it was all academic after 11 of his loyalists sided with Zanu PF.
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