Charter rewrite may proceed with two referenda

Charter rewrite may proceed with two referenda

Vote on bill may go ahead but other hurdles remain

Parliament has the duty and authority to write a new constitution, but referenda must be held twice — first to ask whether people want a new charter and second to approve the finished draft, according to the Constitutional Court.

The one-paragraph ruling released on Thursday afternoon put an end to a dispute between the House and the Senate on whether they can start from scratch on the new charter or are allowed to amend only by section.

It also means lawmakers can proceed with the third and final reading of a bill on how to write a new charter. The third reading is simply a vote on whether to accept the bill as it is — no…