News / National
Zanu-PF woos MDC-T
25 Feb 2015 at 07:26hrs | Views
Zanu-PF legislators are reportedly inviting their MDC-T counterparts for private meetings in a bid to sweet-talk them to allow the passage of the Reserve Bank (Debt Assumption) Bill which among other things seeks to absolve resettled farmers from paying for agricultural implements they received from the central bank, Newsday reported.
Debate on the emotive Bill stalled in the National Assembly last week after opposition legislators threatened to block its passage through a court order, arguing that they could not be coerced to pass it before an audit.
Even efforts by Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa to railroad the $1,3 billion debt Bill hit a snag following fierce resistance from the opposition, forcing him to temporarily halt debate while seeking a political compromise.
Zanu-PF insiders yesterday said the party was ready to engage the opposition to enable the Bill to pass and allow the technically-insolvent central bank to start on a clean slate.
"There will be some negotiations with the opposition behind the scenes to rescue the Bill which is now as good as dead since most Zanu-PF parliamentarians are beneficiaries and thus will not be able to participate if the House is divided for a vote," said a Zanu-PF insider.
But MDC-T chief whip Innocent Gonese said his party would not be persuaded to pass the Bill before it has been put to audit.
Debate on the emotive Bill stalled in the National Assembly last week after opposition legislators threatened to block its passage through a court order, arguing that they could not be coerced to pass it before an audit.
Even efforts by Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa to railroad the $1,3 billion debt Bill hit a snag following fierce resistance from the opposition, forcing him to temporarily halt debate while seeking a political compromise.
Zanu-PF insiders yesterday said the party was ready to engage the opposition to enable the Bill to pass and allow the technically-insolvent central bank to start on a clean slate.
"There will be some negotiations with the opposition behind the scenes to rescue the Bill which is now as good as dead since most Zanu-PF parliamentarians are beneficiaries and thus will not be able to participate if the House is divided for a vote," said a Zanu-PF insider.
But MDC-T chief whip Innocent Gonese said his party would not be persuaded to pass the Bill before it has been put to audit.
Source - news
