News / National
Parliament tenure clarified
26 Mar 2013 at 06:03hrs | Views
Zanu-PF and MDC-T chief whips in the House of Assembly have clarified the end of term for the Seventh Parliament.
Zanu-PF's Joram Gumbo and MDC-T's Innocent Gonese concurred in separate interviews with ZBC News that according to the legal statutes, parliament will wind down business on the 29th of June to coincide with the day the president was sworn in.
While noting that parliament was voted for in March 2008 which should technically add up to a 5 year term by the end of March 2013, the chief whips pointed out that government only resumes business when a president has been sworn in according to the country's constitution.
"Parliament was elected in March 2008 but resumed business when the president was sworn in," said Gumbo.
"The tenure of parliament goes hand in hand with the day the president assumed office," Mr Gonese said.
As the Seventh Parliament winds down business, a new political arrangement is expected after the one which resulted from the Global Political Agreement.
According to the constitution part of section 63, paragraph 4, parliament, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years beginning on the date when it first meets after any general election.
Zanu-PF's Joram Gumbo and MDC-T's Innocent Gonese concurred in separate interviews with ZBC News that according to the legal statutes, parliament will wind down business on the 29th of June to coincide with the day the president was sworn in.
While noting that parliament was voted for in March 2008 which should technically add up to a 5 year term by the end of March 2013, the chief whips pointed out that government only resumes business when a president has been sworn in according to the country's constitution.
"Parliament was elected in March 2008 but resumed business when the president was sworn in," said Gumbo.
"The tenure of parliament goes hand in hand with the day the president assumed office," Mr Gonese said.
As the Seventh Parliament winds down business, a new political arrangement is expected after the one which resulted from the Global Political Agreement.
According to the constitution part of section 63, paragraph 4, parliament, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years beginning on the date when it first meets after any general election.
Source - zbc
