Chamisa pushes for Mugabe to attend Q&A sessions

President Robert Mugabe will be compelled to respond to questions from MPs, while ministers will be punished for bunking the National Assembly if the proposed amendments to Parliament's standing rules and regulations are approved.

Presenting the proposed laws to govern the conduct of MPs, chairperson of the Standing Rules and Orders committee - subcommittee on legislative reform Nelson Chamisa said the recommended regulations would open avenues for Mugabe to be summoned.

"In the proposed regulations, we have included a provision that Mr Speaker, from time to time, when Parliament sees fit and appropriate, invite the President to respond to questions and address certain issues.

"So we mean we will not only have the Vice-President and ministers, we are also putting up means to invite the President whenever he is available," Chamisa said.

Mugabe is currently not bound to attend Parliament, but can do so as "and when he wishes to make a statement to the nation and during official opening of Parliament".

Chamisa said the committee, chaired by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda, had also introduced measures to punish ministers and their deputies who do not attend Parliament or do not respond to motions and questions from back-benchers without any reason.

Zanu-PF legislator and seconder of the proposed regulations, Daniel Shumba, said the new regulations would also increase a quorum from 25 members to 75, in line with the increased number of MPs.