Draft second reading deferred

CONSTITUTIONAL and Parliamentary Affairs minister Eric Matinenga yesterday deferred the Second Reading Stage and debate on the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment 20 Bill as Zanu PF MPs pushed for the fast-tracking of the process.

Report by Veneranda Langa

Zanu PF wants the new constitution to be quickly adopted into law to facilitate the holding of elections by end of June while the two MDCs want key media and security reforms implemented before  polls  could be held.

Yesterday, the Bill on the constitution went through the First Reading stage, but the business of the House of Assembly came to a halt for almost 15 minutes as a visibly agitated Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa (Zanu PF) lurched towards Matinenga (MDC-T) to try and persuade him to have the Second Reading Stage moved and the Bill debated instantly.

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