In an interview with The Zimbabwean on the side-lines of the recent MDC-T primary elections, Moyo said he was wary of the effects of a political vacuum as it had become clear elections would be held way after the expiry of the current Parliament.
“It is dangerous to allow government to run without Parliament as it provides the necessary checks and balances. The present Parliament ends on June 29, but government will continue to operate. So no one will provide checks and balances on how the government will be operating,” he said.
“As the Speaker of Parliament, I am calling upon the principals to consider amending the laws so that the term of parliament is extended to the date of elections.” It is legally possible to extend life of parliament for a period of up to four months after its expiry.
Zanu (PF) is pushing for an early date for polls but the new constitution provides for a mandatory 30 days of voter registration and another 45 days of preparing for the elections after that. Last week, the Constitutional Court ruled that elections must be held by 31 July.
The MDC-T is understood to have taken a decision to lobby for a later date of the polls to allow for full implementation of requisite reforms in order to guarantee free and fair elections. According to sources, the party is set to make its position clear when SADC Heads of State gather for an extra-ordinary summit on Zimbabwe scheduled for June 9.
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