ZANU PF MPs on Tuesday walked out of Parliament, after the MDC displayed a united front over the election of a new Speaker of the House.MPs were meant to vote for a new speaker during Tuesdays sitting, after the Supreme Courts shock decision to set aside the August 2008 election of MDC-T candidate Lovemore Moyo to the position. But the vote did not go ahead, after a chaotic sitting, which saw the factionalised MDC come together to support Moyo as the nominated candidate for the role.
ZANU PFs Clerk of Parliament, Austin Zvoma, had first thing Tuesday morning announced that the vote would be deferred indefinitely, claiming that ZANU PF was not prepared for the poll. The MDC-T almost immediately stated that its MPs would proceed to Parliament, regardless of Zvomas announcement, staying it was ready to win the Speakers vote.
ZANU PF is scared of the vote for Speaker because of factionalism and divisions in that party. The peoples party of excellence, the MDC, is united and ready to win the vote together with other progressive members of parliament across the political divide, the MDC-T said in a statement.
SW Radio Africa correspondent Simon Muchemwa reported that MPs from all three parties in the coalition government, ZANU PF, MDC-T and the smaller MDC faction now led by Welshman Ncube, arrived at Parliament for the vote on Tuesday afternoon. He explained that support for Moyo as the nominated Speaker was evident, with MDC MPs all chanting his name as he walked into the House.
Surprisingly, MDC-N leader Ncube and his predecessor, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, appeared to put their differences aside for the purpose of the vote, walking into parliament hand-in-hand. Ncube and Mutambara have been fighting for several weeks after Ncube took over leadership of the party, with Robert Mugabe refusing to swear him in to Mutambaras position as Deputy Prime Minister.
But it appeared Tuesday that Mugabes favouring of Mutambara did not go according to ZANU PFs plan, with Ncube and Mutambara showing their united support for the MDC-Ts elected Speaker candidate. Muchemwa explained that this united MDC front saw MPs cheering wildly and the ZANU PF reaction was to walk out of the House.
The MDC-T realised that they had a large majority of support with all the MDC members ready to vote for their Speaker. So ZANU PF MPs just walked out, Muchemwa said.
But the Speaker vote did not proceed, and the MDC-T has threatened to seek the intervention of the High Court to force the vote to go ahead.
Post published in: News