Constitutional amendment proposal registered in parliament

A proposal to amend the constitution has been formally registered in the federal parliament. It seeks revisions to provisions covering the electoral system, provincial jurisdiction and the fiscal autonomy of local governments.

According to the secretariat, the proposal will be referred to the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee for a clause-by-clause reading. The committee has scheduled consultations with constitutional experts and representatives of the provincial governments.

Why now

Backers argue that practical problems observed across the past three election cycles need addressing — in particular the selection of proportional-representation lists and unclear divisions of authority between the federal and provincial tiers.

Amending the constitution is procedurally demanding. No clause can change without a two-thirds majority.

Others question the timing and the priority. Moving to structural change before completing outstanding implementation work, they argue, puts the cart before the horse.

The committee aims to report back within the current session.