News / National
29 Zim parliamentary constituencies now vacant
20 Jan 2012 at 05:28hrs | Views
Twenty-nine Parliamentary constituencies now stand vacant since the institution of the inclusive Government although the GPA's 12-month moratorium on by-elections expired in September 2009.
Assistant Clerk of Parliament Mr Johane Gandiwa said the seats became vacant after legislators died, were elevated or expelled from the House of Assembly.
"We have 17 vacant seats in the House of Assembly and 12 seats in the Senate. Eleven legislators from the House of Assembly died while political parties expelled four parliamentarians while two others were elevated to top posts creating the vacancies," Mr Gandiwa said.
In total Zanu-PF now has 16 vacant seats, eight of which are in the House of Assembly. MDC-T has eight vacancies of which four are in the House of Assembly.
The other MDC factions headed by Professor Welshman Ncube and Professor Arthur Mutambara have now lost three legislators in the House of Assembly.
Zanu-PF now has 91 (from 99) House of Assembly representatives. MDC-T has 96 (100) and the other MDCs have a total of seven (10) and it is not clear to which faction some of them belong.
In the Senate Zanu-PF now has 22 (30) members, MDC-T 20 (24) and the MDC remain with six.
In total 21 legislators have died and of these 12 belonged to Zanu-PF, seven were MDC-T representatives and two were chiefs. The deaths occurred between December 2008 and January 2012.
Those who died are Zanu-PF MP's Elliot Manyika (Bindura), C Mabharanga (Guruve North), Elphas Mushoriwa (Gokwe-Gumunyu), Charles Pemhenayi (Mutare North), Neddie Masukume (Mwenezi), Kingstone Ziteya (Shamva South) and Betty Chikava (Mount Darwin East) while for the MDC-T are Cornelius Raphael Dube (Emakhandeni-Entumbane), John Nyamande (Makoni Central) and Shepherd Madamombe (Tafara Mabvuku).
Also among the deceased are Chando Mischek (Bindura-Shamva), Richard Hove (Mberengwa) and Chiratidzo Gava (Kadoma), while from MDC-T they are patrick Kombayi (Gweru-Chirumhanzu), Jabulani Ndlovu (Hwange) and Gladys Tambudzo Dube (Mabutweni).
Matobo North constituency became vacant after Lovemore Moyo was elevated to House of Assembly Speaker.
Four more constituencies were left unrepresented after MDC-T dismissed three legislators for Nkayi South, Lupane East and Bulilima East, Abednico Bhebhe, Njabuliso Mguni and Norman Mpofu respectively while Zanu-PF expelled Tracy Mutinhiri (Marondera East).
Mr Gandiwa said the vacancies in the Senate emerged after the death of Vice president Joseph Msika, two chiefs â€" Chief Bidi (Matabeleland South), Chief G Chimombe (Manicaland) â€" four Zanu-PF and three
MDC-T senators and the Harare Metropolitan province governor David Karimanzira.
Those elevated are former Chegutu MP Edna Madzongwe who is the president of the Senate, Midlands Governor Jaison Machaya (former Gokwe South MP) and Masvingo Governor Titus Maluleke (former MP Chiredzi).
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has said in its Ballout update that it was concerned by the fact that some constituencies are not able to participate in national governance through parliamentary representation.
"ZESN remains concerned about the lack of representation and urges the government to find ways to deal with these problems. Zimbabwe is a representative government and lack of representation prejudices these constituencies as their issues and views cannot find expression on the national agenda," the bulletin said.
It also said it was high time the government found a solution to ensure that all Zimbabweans were represented and able to participate through parliamentary representation.
According to the GPA that led to the creation of an inclusive Government by Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations in September 2008, the parties agreed that for a period of 12 months they would not contest each other in any by-election.
In 2009 the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said it was broke and could not afford to conduct any polls then.
ZEC is gearing for presidential and general elections expected to be held this year and it has said it requires $200 million to run them successfully.
In 2010 three former MDC House of Assembly representatives â€" Abednico Bhebhe (Nkayi South), Njabuliso Mguni (Lupane East) and Norman Mpofu (Bulilima East) â€" were expelled from their party and consequently ejected from Parliament.
The three were dismissed from the MDC in 2009 on allegations of undermining the party and its leadership. The trio subsequently approached the courts seeking an order for elections to be held in the respective constituencies.
Initially, the High Court upheld the Government's argument that no financial resources were available for the polls.
However, Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Nicholas Ndou granted an order compelling President Mugabe to call for by-elections in the three constituencies.
The judge said President Mugabe should set the poll date within 14 days of the order.
However, the Attorney General's Office alleged that a senior law officer had blundered in the case, which compelled the president to call for by-elections in the three constituencies.
The AG's Office said the law officer Mrs Fortune Chimbaru erred by filing counter arguments that reversed earlier submissions and resulted in the judge granting the order sought by the three legislators.
The AG's office said it was working to correct the irregularities with a view to having the ruling reviwed.
Assistant Clerk of Parliament Mr Johane Gandiwa said the seats became vacant after legislators died, were elevated or expelled from the House of Assembly.
"We have 17 vacant seats in the House of Assembly and 12 seats in the Senate. Eleven legislators from the House of Assembly died while political parties expelled four parliamentarians while two others were elevated to top posts creating the vacancies," Mr Gandiwa said.
In total Zanu-PF now has 16 vacant seats, eight of which are in the House of Assembly. MDC-T has eight vacancies of which four are in the House of Assembly.
The other MDC factions headed by Professor Welshman Ncube and Professor Arthur Mutambara have now lost three legislators in the House of Assembly.
Zanu-PF now has 91 (from 99) House of Assembly representatives. MDC-T has 96 (100) and the other MDCs have a total of seven (10) and it is not clear to which faction some of them belong.
In the Senate Zanu-PF now has 22 (30) members, MDC-T 20 (24) and the MDC remain with six.
In total 21 legislators have died and of these 12 belonged to Zanu-PF, seven were MDC-T representatives and two were chiefs. The deaths occurred between December 2008 and January 2012.
Those who died are Zanu-PF MP's Elliot Manyika (Bindura), C Mabharanga (Guruve North), Elphas Mushoriwa (Gokwe-Gumunyu), Charles Pemhenayi (Mutare North), Neddie Masukume (Mwenezi), Kingstone Ziteya (Shamva South) and Betty Chikava (Mount Darwin East) while for the MDC-T are Cornelius Raphael Dube (Emakhandeni-Entumbane), John Nyamande (Makoni Central) and Shepherd Madamombe (Tafara Mabvuku).
Also among the deceased are Chando Mischek (Bindura-Shamva), Richard Hove (Mberengwa) and Chiratidzo Gava (Kadoma), while from MDC-T they are patrick Kombayi (Gweru-Chirumhanzu), Jabulani Ndlovu (Hwange) and Gladys Tambudzo Dube (Mabutweni).
Matobo North constituency became vacant after Lovemore Moyo was elevated to House of Assembly Speaker.
Four more constituencies were left unrepresented after MDC-T dismissed three legislators for Nkayi South, Lupane East and Bulilima East, Abednico Bhebhe, Njabuliso Mguni and Norman Mpofu respectively while Zanu-PF expelled Tracy Mutinhiri (Marondera East).
Mr Gandiwa said the vacancies in the Senate emerged after the death of Vice president Joseph Msika, two chiefs â€" Chief Bidi (Matabeleland South), Chief G Chimombe (Manicaland) â€" four Zanu-PF and three
MDC-T senators and the Harare Metropolitan province governor David Karimanzira.
Those elevated are former Chegutu MP Edna Madzongwe who is the president of the Senate, Midlands Governor Jaison Machaya (former Gokwe South MP) and Masvingo Governor Titus Maluleke (former MP Chiredzi).
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has said in its Ballout update that it was concerned by the fact that some constituencies are not able to participate in national governance through parliamentary representation.
"ZESN remains concerned about the lack of representation and urges the government to find ways to deal with these problems. Zimbabwe is a representative government and lack of representation prejudices these constituencies as their issues and views cannot find expression on the national agenda," the bulletin said.
It also said it was high time the government found a solution to ensure that all Zimbabweans were represented and able to participate through parliamentary representation.
According to the GPA that led to the creation of an inclusive Government by Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations in September 2008, the parties agreed that for a period of 12 months they would not contest each other in any by-election.
In 2009 the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said it was broke and could not afford to conduct any polls then.
ZEC is gearing for presidential and general elections expected to be held this year and it has said it requires $200 million to run them successfully.
In 2010 three former MDC House of Assembly representatives â€" Abednico Bhebhe (Nkayi South), Njabuliso Mguni (Lupane East) and Norman Mpofu (Bulilima East) â€" were expelled from their party and consequently ejected from Parliament.
The three were dismissed from the MDC in 2009 on allegations of undermining the party and its leadership. The trio subsequently approached the courts seeking an order for elections to be held in the respective constituencies.
Initially, the High Court upheld the Government's argument that no financial resources were available for the polls.
However, Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Nicholas Ndou granted an order compelling President Mugabe to call for by-elections in the three constituencies.
The judge said President Mugabe should set the poll date within 14 days of the order.
However, the Attorney General's Office alleged that a senior law officer had blundered in the case, which compelled the president to call for by-elections in the three constituencies.
The AG's Office said the law officer Mrs Fortune Chimbaru erred by filing counter arguments that reversed earlier submissions and resulted in the judge granting the order sought by the three legislators.
The AG's office said it was working to correct the irregularities with a view to having the ruling reviwed.
Source - TH
