Opposition senators, MPs petition Mugabe

Opposition senators, MPs petition Mugabe
By George Chellah in Harare, Zimbabwe
Friday August 29, 2008 [04:00]

OPPOSITION MDC senators and members of parliament have sent a petition to President Robert Mugabe, stating that this week’s official opening of Parliament was a breach of the memorandum of understanding. And MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa announced that the treason case of MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti has been postponed to November 17, 2008.

In a petition, the MDC-Morgan Tsvangirai faction senators and legislators criticised President Mugabe for proceeding to officially open Parliament when the SADC talks were still ongoing.

“We, the undersigned members of the Movement for Democratic Change elected both to the Senate and the House of Assembly declare that, this official opening of the 7th Parliament of Zimbabwe is a clear breach of the Memorandum of Understanding and is therefore of no force and effect,” they stated. “The purported opening by Mugabe, the illegitimate usurper of the people’s will as reflected on 29 March 2008, is illegal and of no force and effect.”

They further stated that for the avoidance of doubt, the only person who can officially open this session of Parliament will be determined by the outcome of the ongoing dialogue sponsored by SADC.

“The appointment of senators and governors by Mugabe is an affront to the MoU and a fraud on the people of Zimbabwe, which wrongfully and unlawfully was designed to affect and did affect the election of both the President and Vice-President of the Senate,” they stated. “The continued harassment, arrest of MDC legislators and activists by members of the police and related security institutions is a direct affront to the will of the people of Zimbabwe.

“The people of Zimbabwe await anxiously for the resolution of the
SADC-brokered dialogue in order that the humanitarian crisis they face is urgently and immediately addressed.”

And MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa announced that the treason case of Biti had been postponed to November 17.

“Hon Biti is facing trumped-up charges under the draconian Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. He is being charged with treason arising from a document titled ‘The Transition Strategy’ which he is alleged to have authored,” Chamisa said. “Hon Biti, who is also the MP for Harare East, is one of the key negotiators of the MDC in the SADC brokered dialogue. Today, the State said it needed more time to gather more evidence on the case.”

Biti was arrested at Harare International Airport on June 5 upon returning to the country from South Africa.