Zanu PF MPs vote in advance for Speaker
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=3082
August 25, 2008
By Our Correspondent
HARARE - President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF summoned all its recently
elected Members of Parliament Sunday and urged them to vote for a
Zanu-PF Speaker of Parliament ahead of their swearing-in on Monday.
According to the constitution of Zimbabwe the first function of a
Parliament after the swearing-in of legislators is to vote for the
Speaker of the House.
Sources within Zanu-PF say Zanu-PF MPs were ordered to cast their
ballot in advance at the party headquarters in Harare on Sunday for
Zanu-PF chairman John Nkomo. He was the Speaker in the previous
Parliament.
The party's chief whip, Joram Gumbo, will present the Zanu-PF vote in
Parliament Monday. MDC MPs said they will reject this, and insist that
everyone be handed a fresh ballot paper to cast their vote secretly in
Parliament. A senior MDC official claimed that his party had obtained
confirmation from several Zanu-PF MPs that they would vote for an MDC
Speaker rather than Nkomo. The election of Speaker is supposed to be by
secret ballot.
As if to prevent a situation where Zanu-PF MPs vote for the MDC
candidate, Zanu-PF summoned all its MPs to a party caucus one day ahead
of the swearing-in ceremony on Monday and obtained their votes for the
Speaker in advance.
The Zanu-PF chief whip was not immediately available for comment, but
official sources said Zanu-PF pressed members to close ranks and ensure
the party wins the Speaker position.
A senior Zanu-PF official expressed confidence that his party would win
the position of Speaker "because we have already managed the Mutambara
camp", which holds the balance of power in Parliament, with 10 seats in
the hung Parliament. The mainstream MDC led by Tsvangirai is
represented by 100 MPs, while Zanu PF holds 99 seats.
Former Zanu PF member and former Minister of Information, Jonathan Moyo
holds the remaining seat in the 210 seat Parliament. He is as
independent MP representing Tsholotsho North constituency.
The nominee representing the party that secures the sup****t of the 10
legislators representing the Mutambara faction will become the Speaker.
Sources told The Zimbabwe Times over the weekend that Tsvangirai had
secured the sup****t of eight of the 10 MPs.
The two factions of the MDC have each nominated a candidate for the
position of Speaker.
While the mainstream MDC has nominated its national chairman, Lovemore
Moyo, the Mutambara faction is putting forward senior party member Paul
Themba Nyathi for the position, MDC officials said. Nyathi, along with
the rest of the leader****p of his party, lost the March 29
parliamentary election.
The constitution of Zimbabwe stipulates that Parliament can elect the
Speaker from among persons who are current or have been members of the
House of Assembly.
Nyathi the former spokesman of the MDC before its split in 2005 was a
member of the previous Parliament. He is one of the most highly
regarded members of the Mutambara faction.
"Except for some few MPs who are in hiding, all our elected 100 Members
of Parliament should be there on Monday," mainstream MDC spokesman
Nelson Chamisa said.
"Our candidate is Mr Moyo, who is a war veteran and a man of impeccable
credentials."
Chamisa said the MDC was hopeful that the election would be free and
fair but said there were lingering fears of vote rigging.
"Zanu-PF's appetite for criminal conduct is astoni****ng," Chamisa said.
He said there were concerns over the welfare of six MDC MPs whose names
remain on the police "wanted" list. MDC MPs re****tedly wanted by police
include Pearson Mungofa, MP for Highfield East; Shepherd Mushonga of
Mazowe central; Elton Mangoma (Makoni North), Piniel Denga (Mbare)
Broadwin Nyaude, representing Bindura South and Edmore Marima, the MP
for Bikita East.
Chamisa said his party had decided that while its MPs would be sworn-in
they would boycott the official opening of Parliament on Tuesday.
Mugabe is scheduled to preside over the official opening on Tuesday.
"We are not going to legitimize a person who lost the election (by
attending the official opening of Parliament)," Chamisa said. "He
couldn't secure legitimacy from the people of Zimbabwe.
"Who are we as MPs to entertain a person who has been rejected by the
people?
"If we attend the official opening, it will be a betrayal of those who
have died at the hands of Zanu (PF), those who have been tortured, who
had their homes burnt, those who were raped, and those who lost their
loved one," Chamisa said.
He said the mainstream MDC would vote for an MDC Mutambara deputy
Speaker, "in the spirit of magnanimity towards our colleagues".
The Tsvangirai-led MDC would vote for MDC Mutambara deputy, president
Gibson Sibanda, for the position of President of the Senate. It is
understood that Sekai Holland of the Tsvangirai faction has been lined
up for the position of deputy President of the Senate.
In the Senate, Zanu-PF controls 30 seats, while the mainstream MDC
holds 24 and the Mutambara faction has six. The Upper House wields no
significant power. It was abolished after independence but was
re-introduced in 2005 mainly as a ploy to create positions for
unsuccessful Zanu-PF candidates who are unsuccessful in parliamentary
elections.
The President appoints 33 senators representing traditional chiefs,
provincial governors, women, the disabled and other interested groups -
bringing the total number of Senators to 93.
Meanwhile, the police have since Saturday cordoned off roads adjacent
to Parliament to allow for rehearsals for Monday's and Tuesday's
events.
On Sunday Zimbabwe Air Force jets flew over Parliament as part of the
rehearsals.
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