If the facilitator gives his approval, the draft Bill will be gazetted and brought to Parliament for debate.
What this means is that the formation of an inclusive Government is in
motion, and since all parties to the agreement have endorsed the
process, we hope they will put shoulders to the wheel to move the
process forward.
This is not the time for grandstanding or pontificating but serving the national interest.
It is important to note that the draft Bill seeks to give legal force
to sections of the tripartite agreement and without it, the agreement
remains just that, another sheaf of papers.
If passed, the Bill will introduce the offices of Prime Minister and
two Deputy Prime Ministers along with nine non-constituency senators
into the Constitution.
We hope when the Bill is introduced in the House, legislators across
the divide will tackle it with maturity and not waste time on
trivialities.
After all the parties sponsoring each MP or Senator, serve for
independent MP Professor Jonathan Moyo, were party to the broad-based
agreement that necessitated the 19th Amendment.
The Bill is about bringing fundamental changes to the executive and enlargement of the Upper House, nothing more nothing less.
We hope none of the parties will try to use the Bill as an opportunity
to score cheap political points or to re-open discussion over issues
that were concluded during the inter-party talks.
This can only serve to stall the process.
The two MDC formations must realise that they need the Bill more than
Zanu-PF since it seeks to create the offices their leaders were
given….. Really? Thanks for letting us know
Zanu-PF's part of the inclusive Government is already enshrined in the Constitution.
Despite this, the ruling party has since shown its commitment to the
process, we hope the MDC formations will be equal to the task and stop
needless grandstanding.
Unless both parties are committed to seeing the Bill sail through, it
will be stillborn because it needs the support of the two largest
parties, Zanu-PF and MDC-T to achieve the requisite two-thirds majority
needed to pass through both Houses.
We just hope the Speaker of the House of Assembly will be equal to the
task as there have been disturbing reports of wanton partisanship that
has seen him turn a blind eye to flagrant violation of the standing
rules and orders.
The legislature is a serious institution ; its members are expected to
behave honourably which is why there is the presumption of honourable
(conduct) before each legislator's name.
Let's rededicate ourselves to the nation-building project before us and
execute it with the maturity, honour and seriousness the constituents
deserve and expect of us.
THE HERALD
Post published in: News