At least 36 votes are required for the Constitution Amendment Bill to pass its second and third readings in Parliament, says the Centre for Democracy & Dialogue (CDD).
The coalition says 35 votes fall short of the two-thirds majority required under the Constitution, contrary to media reports concerning the Speaker of Parliament’s ruling.
The CDD referred to the Supreme Court’s opinion of August 29, 2025, which requires the Bill to secure the support of “at least two-thirds of all members of Parliament” at both readings.
It said that with Parliament currently comprising 53 members, two-thirds amounts to 35⅓ votes.
Since parliamentary votes must be whole numbers, the minimum required to meet the constitutional threshold is 36.
The coalition explained that 35 votes represent 66.04 per cent of Parliament, below the required 66⅔ per cent majority.
In comparison, 36 votes represent 67.92 per cent, exceeding the constitutional requirement.
The CDD maintains that the Supreme Court’s use of the words “at least” means the required number cannot be rounded down to 35.
It stressed that 36 affirmative votes are necessary at both the second and third readings for the Bill to meet the two-thirds threshold, based on a 53-member Parliament.
