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(NEWZIMBABWE) Mutambara bids to block MP expulsions

Mutambara bids to block MP expulsions
20/11/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

DEPUTY Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has approached the Senate President and the Speaker of Parliament in a bid to block the expulsion of lawmakers sacked by the MDC party for insubordination on Monday.

The Welshman Ncube led party expelled three Members Parliament and two Senators accusing of them of undermining the party leadership by allegedly working with the MDC formation led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Those sacked included Tsholotsho South MP Maxwell Dube, Thandeko Zinti Mkandla of Gwanda North, Umzingwane’s Nomalanga Khumalo and two senators Dalumuzi Khumalo of Lupane and Kembo Dube of Umzingwane.

MDC secretary general Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga told the legislators: “You have refused to work for the party and in fact rejected the authority of the party’s national leadership and the National Council and generally disassociated yourself from the party.

"By your conduct, you automatically expelled yourself from the party with effect from March 2011 when you refused to accept authority."
The party also approached the Clerk of Parliament Austin Zvoma, seeking to have the legislators expelled.

But Mutambara, who is fighting his removal as party leader at the Supreme Court, claimed in letters to the Speaker of Parliament and the President of the Senate that the sacking of the legislators from the party was “null and void”.

“These legislators were elected under my leadership as the President of the MDC. Both the issue of whether Welshman Ncube was duly elected President of the MDC in January 2011, and the matter of the legitimacy of the corresponding MDC Congress are before the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe,” said Mutambara.

“Consequently, all these issues are sub judice. Hence, the entire leadership led by Welshman Ncube, has no locus standi to expel members from the MDC. Hence they cannot purport to terminate the Parliamentary membership of any sitting member of the MDC.

“Once the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe has ruled in its favour in both the two pending Supreme Court cases, then the leadership led by Welshman Ncube can take action against the MPs.”

Khumalo, who was also the Deputy Speaker of Parliament shrugged off the purported dismissal saying: “They are embarrassing themselves because they are claiming to have fired people who have already defected. I told them from the word go that I was not part of them, but that I belong to Mutambara’s faction.

“I am also informed that about 12 councillors in Umzingwane defected to the MDC-T so they cannot say they have fired people who have already defected.”

Dube added: “For them to say they have expelled us is the same as saying Zanu PF has expelled me. I belong to the MDC on whose ticket I went to Parliament.

“The MDC led by Mutambara is the one I belong to. For them to say I defected to the MDC-T, that is their story that they believe.”

Mutambara added that Ncube could not continue to claim legitimacy in government having sacked most of his elected representatives.

Said the deputy premier: “Even in this scenario, how do you fire more than 70 percent of your elected representatives, and remain legitimate as a Party Leader and as a Government Minister?

“This has never happened in the history of constitutional democracies.”

Labels: ARTHUR MUTAMBARA, MDC, MDC FACTIONS

posted by MrK @ 5:09 PM