News / National
Gono appointment to Parly in limbo
19 Mar 2014 at 14:11hrs | Views
Former Reserve Bank governor, Gideon Gono, recommended for a senatorial seat in Manicaland by Zanu-PF, cannot go to Parliament just yet, the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) boss Rita Makarau said on Tuesday.
The ZEC chairperson told The Zimbabwe Mail that the country had no law that governs Gono's appointment to the Upper Chamber to replace the late Kumbirai Kangai who passed on last year in August.
Makarau said the Electoral Act was quiet on how senators selected on proportional representation are replaced when they pass on, or incapacitated to take on their seats in the Senate.
"(Gono will) not (be a senator) until an electoral amendment bill is passed by Parliament, and signed into law by the President (Robert Mugabe), we have no legal instrument to use in dealing with such cases. What this simply means is that the case you are referring to (Gono appointment), will only be attended to when the new law is enacted," Makarau said.
Speculation has been swirling in Harare following Gono's recommendation to be a senator by Zanu-PF's Manicaland province late last year and the subsequent endorsement by the party's Politburo that Zimbabwe's immediate past central bank governor may end up being Finance minister.
Makarau's comments have put paid to such claims and for now, Gono might have to wait a little longer amid reports the ruling party's Politburo would be meeting this week to decide on this, among other issues.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo at the weekend confirmed the Politburo meeting would discuss Gono's fate, among other issues.
"We are meeting hopefully this week to decide and map the way forward over the (Gono) issue," Gumbo said on Sunday.
In the run-up to the July 31 harmonised elections last year, Zanu-PF submitted a list of its proposed senators for Manicaland in their preferred order, and according to the list, former Central Intelligence Organisation director-general Shadreck Chipanga should have been the next in line to replace Kangai. Gono's name does not appear on this list.
The Zanu-PF's list consisted of Kangai, Monica Mutsvangwa, Judith Mawire, Michael Nyambuya, Egnet Makono and Chipanga.
From the votes cast, Zanu-PF got four Senate seats and only Makono and Chipanga did not make it, with Patrick Chitaka and Keresensia Chabuka making it on an MDC-T ticket.
At the weekend, Information minister Jonathan Moyo came out guns-blazing, rubbishing off suggestions that Mugabe intended to reshuffle Cabinet by, among other appointments, replacing Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa with Gono.
Moyo told state media that Chinamasa was not going anywhere and there was no Cabinet reshuffle as claimed by some sections of the media.
Mugabe has already exhausted all constitutionally provided appointments of non-elected parliamentary posts, making it legally impossible to appoint Gono to Cabinet outside Parliament.
The ZEC chairperson told The Zimbabwe Mail that the country had no law that governs Gono's appointment to the Upper Chamber to replace the late Kumbirai Kangai who passed on last year in August.
Makarau said the Electoral Act was quiet on how senators selected on proportional representation are replaced when they pass on, or incapacitated to take on their seats in the Senate.
"(Gono will) not (be a senator) until an electoral amendment bill is passed by Parliament, and signed into law by the President (Robert Mugabe), we have no legal instrument to use in dealing with such cases. What this simply means is that the case you are referring to (Gono appointment), will only be attended to when the new law is enacted," Makarau said.
Speculation has been swirling in Harare following Gono's recommendation to be a senator by Zanu-PF's Manicaland province late last year and the subsequent endorsement by the party's Politburo that Zimbabwe's immediate past central bank governor may end up being Finance minister.
Makarau's comments have put paid to such claims and for now, Gono might have to wait a little longer amid reports the ruling party's Politburo would be meeting this week to decide on this, among other issues.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo at the weekend confirmed the Politburo meeting would discuss Gono's fate, among other issues.
"We are meeting hopefully this week to decide and map the way forward over the (Gono) issue," Gumbo said on Sunday.
In the run-up to the July 31 harmonised elections last year, Zanu-PF submitted a list of its proposed senators for Manicaland in their preferred order, and according to the list, former Central Intelligence Organisation director-general Shadreck Chipanga should have been the next in line to replace Kangai. Gono's name does not appear on this list.
The Zanu-PF's list consisted of Kangai, Monica Mutsvangwa, Judith Mawire, Michael Nyambuya, Egnet Makono and Chipanga.
From the votes cast, Zanu-PF got four Senate seats and only Makono and Chipanga did not make it, with Patrick Chitaka and Keresensia Chabuka making it on an MDC-T ticket.
At the weekend, Information minister Jonathan Moyo came out guns-blazing, rubbishing off suggestions that Mugabe intended to reshuffle Cabinet by, among other appointments, replacing Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa with Gono.
Moyo told state media that Chinamasa was not going anywhere and there was no Cabinet reshuffle as claimed by some sections of the media.
Mugabe has already exhausted all constitutionally provided appointments of non-elected parliamentary posts, making it legally impossible to appoint Gono to Cabinet outside Parliament.
Source - zimmail
