News / National
Mugabe opens parliament, as MDC-T boycotts
17 Sep 2013 at 11:33hrs | Views
Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC is snubbing President Robert Mugabe's State official opening of Parliament Tuesday, as the opposition party pushes for fresh elections.
MDC-T maintains the elections were rigged and has refused to accept Mugabe's victory, while on the other hand Zanu-PF is unfazed, threatening to go it alone should the MDC maintain its boycott stance.
MDC spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said there was nothing to gain from attending Mugabe's opening of Parliament.
"Our MPs are not going to Parliament and that is final.
"We are bound by the decisions of the national council," said Mwonzora.
Asked whether the MDC-T is not just grandstanding in order to gain political mileage, Mwonzora said there is nothing to gain in attending the official opening by an "illegitimate president".
"There is nothing to gain in attending Parliament, nothing special will come from the opening except the same old things, therefore we cannot bless fraud because that is exactly how Mugabe became president."
Mugabe's party has a two thirds majority and recently elected Jacob Mudenda speaker of Parliament after the MDC boycotted the election.
Rugare Gumbo, the Zanu-PF spokesperson, said people were elected to Parliament to debate national issues and not to boycott them.
"It will make no difference whether they attend or not," said Gumbo. "Those MPs who were elected will come and debate national issues and also witness the president officially opening Parliament. The MPs were elected to debate national issues and not to boycott."
Mugabe told reporters last week after the swearing-in ceremony of Cabinet ministers that he did not include any MDC-T officials in his cabinet because Tsvangirai's party did not accept the results of the hotly contested July 31 elections.
Initially the MDC-T considered not participating altogether in the Eighth Parliament, but has shifted stance opting rather to defend the small remaining space it has in the legislature.
The ex-majority party, which has 91 seats in a bloated Parliament with 356 MPs, is however, going to participate in parliamentary business.
Mwonzora said the boycott is meant to send a message to Mugabe that he is not the legitimate president.
Only Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga, an official from the Welshman Ncube-led MDC party attended the event.
MDC-T maintains the elections were rigged and has refused to accept Mugabe's victory, while on the other hand Zanu-PF is unfazed, threatening to go it alone should the MDC maintain its boycott stance.
MDC spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said there was nothing to gain from attending Mugabe's opening of Parliament.
"Our MPs are not going to Parliament and that is final.
"We are bound by the decisions of the national council," said Mwonzora.
Asked whether the MDC-T is not just grandstanding in order to gain political mileage, Mwonzora said there is nothing to gain in attending the official opening by an "illegitimate president".
"There is nothing to gain in attending Parliament, nothing special will come from the opening except the same old things, therefore we cannot bless fraud because that is exactly how Mugabe became president."
Mugabe's party has a two thirds majority and recently elected Jacob Mudenda speaker of Parliament after the MDC boycotted the election.
Rugare Gumbo, the Zanu-PF spokesperson, said people were elected to Parliament to debate national issues and not to boycott them.
"It will make no difference whether they attend or not," said Gumbo. "Those MPs who were elected will come and debate national issues and also witness the president officially opening Parliament. The MPs were elected to debate national issues and not to boycott."
Mugabe told reporters last week after the swearing-in ceremony of Cabinet ministers that he did not include any MDC-T officials in his cabinet because Tsvangirai's party did not accept the results of the hotly contested July 31 elections.
Initially the MDC-T considered not participating altogether in the Eighth Parliament, but has shifted stance opting rather to defend the small remaining space it has in the legislature.
The ex-majority party, which has 91 seats in a bloated Parliament with 356 MPs, is however, going to participate in parliamentary business.
Mwonzora said the boycott is meant to send a message to Mugabe that he is not the legitimate president.
Only Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga, an official from the Welshman Ncube-led MDC party attended the event.
Source - dailynews
