Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) Zanu PF now majority in Parliament

Zanu PF now majority in Parliament
Veritas/TZG
Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:24:00 +0000

SINCE the end of July 2009, by-elections have still not been held, more vacancies have occurred through deaths, three nominated seats have not been filled, and three MDC-M members were expelled from their party, meaning that their seats had to be vacated. The lone Independent member of the House of Assembly has rejoined Zanu PF but kept his seat.

Voting Strengths in the House of Assembly

Total number of seats: 214
Vacancies: deaths 6
Vacancies: expulsions 3
Vacancies: other 2
Suspended MPs 4
Sitting MPs 199

The breakdown by party of the 199 sitting MPs is:

Zanu PF 96
MDC-T 95
MDC-M 8

After the 2008 Parliamentary Elections [and before 4 extra seats were added by Constitution Amendment 19] the total number of seats in the House of Assembly was 210 [Zanu-PF 99; MDC-T 100; MDC-M 10; Independent 1].

Voting Strengths in the Senate

Total number of seats: 100
Vacancies: deaths 4
Vacancies: other 5
Sitting Senators 91

The breakdown of the 91 sitting Senators is:

Zanu-PF: 29 [25 elected and 4 appointed]
Provincial Governors: 10 [all ZANU-PF]
Senator Chiefs: 17 [Traditionally chiefs have voted Zanu-PF]

Likely Zanu PF voting strength 56

MDC-T: 27 [23 elected and 4 appointed]
MDC-M: 8 [6 elected and 2 appointed]

After the 2008 Elections [before 7 extra seats were added by Constitution Amendment 19] the total number of seats in the Senate was 93 [Zanu PF likely voting strength 63 (30 elected + 5 appointed Senators + 10 Governors + 18 Chiefs); MDC-T 24 (all elected Senators); MDC-M 6 (all elected Senators)].

Note: The figures given above do not include the Attorney General – because although he has the right to sit and to speak in both Houses, he has no vote.

All other members are voting members – whether elected, appointed, nominated, ex-officio, constituency or non-constituency, chiefs or provincial governors.

Details of the 11 Vacant Seats in the House of Assembly

Constituency Seats [10]

Seats formerly held by MDC-T [3]

-Matobo North, Matabeleland South [vacated by Lovemore Moyo on election as Speaker]
-Emakhandeni-Entumbane, Bulawayo [ex Cornelius Dube, deceased]
-Makoni Central, Manicaland [ex John Nyamande, deceased]

Seats formerly held by MDC-M [3]

These three seats fell vacant following the holders’ expulsion from MDC-M:

-Bulilima East, Matabeleland South [previously held by Norman Mpofu]
-Lupane East, Matabeleland North [previously held by Njabuliso Mguni]
-Nkayi South, Matabeleland North [previously held by Abednico Bhebhe]

Seats formerly held by Zanu-PF [4]

-Gokwe-Gumunyu, Midlands [ex Ephrem Mushoriwa, deceased]
-Guruve North, Mashonaland Central [ex Cletus Mabaranga, deceased]
-Bindura North, Mashonaland Central [ex Elliot Manyika, deceased]
-Mutare North, Manicaland [ex Charles Pemhenayi, deceased]

Appointed/Nominated Seats [1]

This is the seat to which Zanu-PF is entitled under the GPA, because a sitting MP [Joice Mujuru] was appointed as Vice-President. It has not been filled.

Details of the 9 Vacant Seats in the Senate

Constituency seats [6]

-Seat formerly held by MDC-T [1]
-Gweru-Chirumanzu, Midlands [ex Patrick Kombayi, deceased]
-Seats formerly held by Zanu PF [5]
-Chegutu, Mashonaland West [vacated by Edna Madzongwe on election as President of the Senate]
-Chiredzi, Masvingo [vacancy caused by appointment of Titus Maluleke as a Provincial Governor]
-Gokwe South, Midlands [vacancy caused by appointment of Jaison Machaya as a Provincial Governor]
-Mberengwa, Midlands [ex Richard Hove, deceased]
-Bindura-Shamva, Mashonaland Central [ex Misheck Chando, deceased]

Chiefs [1]

Matabeleland South [ex Chief Bidi, deceased]. The replacement must be elected by the Provincial Assembly of Chiefs for Matabeleland South.
Appointed/Nominated Seats [2]

There are two vacancies which Zanu PF is entitled to fill – one brought about by the death of the late Vice-President Msika, and the other because a sitting Senator, John Nkomo, was appointed as Vice-President in succession to Vice-President Msika.

Suspended members of House of Assembly

The 4 suspended MPs are all from MDC-T. Each was automatically suspended because convicted of an offence and given a prison sentence of more than 6 months. While suspended they cannot vote in the House or exercise other functions as MPs. Under section 42 of the Constitution, the suspensions operate notwithstanding that all are out of custody on bail pending hearing of appeals to the High Court against both conviction and sentence.] These seats will only become vacant and up for by-elections if the MP’s lose their appeals.

-Matthias Mlambo [MDC-T MP for Chipinge East, Manicaland] convicted of inciting public violence, sentenced to 10 months imprisonment

-Meki Makuyana [MDC-T MP for Chipinge South, Manicaland] convicted of kidnapping a minor, sentenced to 12 months imprisonment

-Shuah Mudiwa [MDC-T MP for Mutare West, Manicaland] convicted of kidnapping a minor, sentenced to 7 years imprisonment

-Ernest Mudavanhu [MDC-T MP for Zaka North, Masvingo] convicted of abusing subsidised farming inputs, sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.

Potential changes if governorships are redistributed

Changes in party representation in the Senate can be expected if the “supposedly” agreed to sharing of provincial governorships between the three parties is confirmed. Also, if, as previously announced, three of the MDC-T provincial governors are to be drawn from the House of Assembly, three more seats will be added to the number of by-elections to take place for the House.

16 By-Elections for Constituency seats long overdue

All by-elections are long overdue [some outstanding since July and October 2008] in gross contravention of both the Constitution and the Electoral Act. The members of the new Zimbabwe Electoral Commission [ZEC] were announced on Monday 21st December. Once the appointment of the chairperson has been announced, the country will be one step closer to holding by-elections, although it has been suggested that ZEC has no funds for the holding of by-elections, so this excuse may cause further delays.

Abednico Bhebhe, former MDC-M MP for Nkayi South, has already announced his intention to take legal action to compel the holding of by-elections. And all three former MDC-M MPs have stated their intentions to stand in their former constituencies as independent candidates. An additional factor in the five Matabeleland by-elections is that they are expected to be contested by candidates from the revived ZAPU.

Extension of By-Elections Moratorium for GPA Parties?

In Article 21 of the GPA the three GPA political parties agreed that for one year from the signing of the GPA [i.e. until 15th September 2009] they would not compete against each other in by-elections that might arise, and that of the three parties only the party holding a constituency seat before it became vacant would nominate a candidate to replace its previous representative.

As yet unconfirmed reports on the inter-party negotiations suggest that the negotiators have agreed that this moratorium should be extended to cover all by-elections held before the next general elections. If so, that would not prevent other parties, or independent candidates, from contesting by-elections – because the extended moratorium agreement would bind only MDC-T, MDC-M and Zanu PF.


*The information was prepared by Veritas (Bill Watch 2/2010), with minor changes by the Zimbabwe Guardian.

Labels: PARLIAMENT, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 3:09 AM