MDC-T mulls Parliament pullout

Zimbabwe's main opposition party, MDC-T, is contemplating pulling out of Parliament en massé in protest against Zanu-PF's reluctance to create a conducive environment for the holding of free and fair elections.

Party national chairman Lovemore Moyo told NewsDay yesterday that the proposal came up during a National Council meeting last week, but was yet to be formally debated.

Moyo chaired the meeting. All he said is that of course, the matter was raised and it's still at its earliest stages.

"There is nothing as yet because there are (certain) procedures to be followed before it is tabled. So, indeed it was raised, but it has not been formally tabled for discussion," the former Speaker of the National Assembly said.

Party insiders who spoke on condition of anonymity said the issue was raised by a South Africa-based MDC-T member and received massive support from National Council officials at the meeting.

The idea was, however, resisted by sitting MPs who felt the move would plunge them into abject poverty.

MDC-T officials who supported the disengagement proposal argued that it was pointless for sitting legislators to remain in Parliament after the party had resolved to boycott all the forthcoming by-elections over an uneven playing field.