By Correspondent
The Constitution Defenders (Forum) has described the passing of the Constitutional Amendment Bill (CAB3) by the National Assembly as a farce.
In a statement, the organisation said it was wrong for Parliament to have conducted an open ballot as that compromised the legislators.
CDF went further to accuse the 216 MPs who voted Yes for CAB3 of having sold out the mandate they got from the people.
“History will record that, when called upon to defend the Constitution, many chose personal interests over national interests, political expediency over principle and loyalty to power over loyalty to the people.
“CDF maintains that the process in Parliament today was a shambolic farce.
“Voting by open ballot compromised the integrity of the legislative process.
The organisation, led by former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) member Tendai Biti, said ZANU-PF had gone against the very ideals which it championed during the liberation struggle.
“By insisting on an open ballot for CAB3, ZANU PF departed from the very democratic values that it historically championed during the struggle for majority rule, replacing the principle of free political choice with party discipline and political control.
Rallying Call
The organisation has since issued a rallying call.
One thing is clear: it can no longer be business as usual.
“The struggle to defend the Constitution, democracy and the future of Zimbabwe continues”, it added.
The Bill sailed through the National Assembly on Thursday after 38 opposition CCC legislators voted alongside Zanu PF.
The Bill secured 216 votes, 29 more than the two-thirds majority required to amend the Constitution.
Forty-two members of the CCC voted against the proposed legislation.
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, presided over the voting process.
The Bill seeks to extend the presidential electoral cycle from five to seven years and change the method of electing the President from a direct public vote to an election by a joint sitting of Parliament.
It now moves to the Senate, where debate is expected to begin on Tuesday next week.
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