MDC-T yet to decide on resumption of Senate sitting

Morgan Komichi, the deputy organizing secretary, told SW Radio Africa their standing committee, the top decision making body of the party, will meet on Wednesday to deliberate on the issue. Business in the senate had been adjourned to next year after MDC senate members protested the attendance of provincial governors who were unilaterally re-appointed by Robert Mugabe, in violation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

But MDC-M leader and deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara, said in Masvingo on Monday that the enate would resume sitting this week. He said the three principals to the GPA had agreed to this during their meeting last week with the SADC mediator, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa.

Mutambara added that the senate would get back to business while they wait for a verdict from the High court and also the outcome of the SADC Troika meeting, scheduled for next week. Recently Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai began legal action against Robert Mugabe over the appointment of the provincial governors and it is now before the courts. But despite proclamations by Mutambara that senate proceedings will resume this week, MDC-T senators and officials told us they knew nothing about it.

Who is Mutambara? Hes not even our leader so where does he get the authority to tell us that. At least he should have had the courtesy to brief us first before rushing to the media, one senator said. Komichi was more diplomatic when he said the decision for senators to go back lies with the standing committee. He said it has always been Tsvangirais modus operandi that before he goes public on any major party issues he briefs the standing committee first. MDC-T senators are adamant they will continue with their boycott of the senate until the matter of the governors is resolved.

Mutambara has said in his address to business leaders in Masvingo that the three principals agreed on the senate resumption after Mugabe conceded that he violated the GPA by re-appointing the governors for another term. Another MDC-T senator said; Since Mugabe has agreed he violated the GPA by re-appointing the governors, he should simply reverse the appointments and Tsvangirai might be forced to drop the court case against him and we will go back to the senate. As simple as that.

The ten ZANU PF appointed governors are meant to take seats in the House of Assembly as senators but because Mugabe defied the provisions of the power sharing deal in unilaterally appointing them, the MDC-T has refused to recognize strangers in the house.

Political commentator Luke Zunga said he wondered why Mutambara would think that Tsvangirai would be so gullible as to agree to such an arrangement, taking into account the number of times Mugabe has reneged on issues agreed upon during SADC summits.

How many times has Mugabe agreed with Tsvangirai on so many of the GPA issues only to go back on his word whenever he meets his politburo? This is a classical example of giving someone a taste of their own medicine. I bet the answer tomorrow (Wednesday) is the MDC-T will decide against going back to the senate and we will have another standoff. Zunga said the standoff will in effect derail the passing of the Finances and Appropriation Bills that seeks to give effect to the budget statement presented last week Thursday by Finance minister Tendai Biti.

The Finances Bill would legalise the various tax measures that the minister announced, while the Appropriation Bill, once passed, gives effect to budget votes allocated to Government ministries and departments. The two Bills are supposed to sail through both the House of Assembly and Senate before being submitted for Presidential assent.

If both parties fail to bridge the gap, as far as the latest crisis is concerned, then the Finance Ministry cannot disburse the funds to various ministries, even those controlled by the MDC. This is something that both parties have to seriously consider and negotiate with the suffering people in mind, Zunga added.