adminFarirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Bikita West Parliamentary constituency was yesterday officially declared vacant by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Cde Jacob Mudenda, after receiving a letter from Zanu-PF expelling Dr Munyaradzi Kereke who had won the seat in the July 31 harmonised elections.
Cde Mudenda declared the vacancy in terms on Section 39 (1) of the Electoral Act, paving the way for a by-election to be held in the constituency on a date to be announced.
“I hereby notify this Honourable House that a vacancy exists in the membership of the National Assembly in the seat of Bikita West constituency. Secretary for Administration for Zanu-PF (Cde Didymus Mutasa) wrote to the Speaker that Dr Kereke, who was a member of the party at the time of his election, has ceased to be a member and no longer represents the interest of that party Zanu-PF,” Cde Mudenda said.
In terms of Section 129 (1) (k) of the new Constitution the seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the member has ceased to belong to a political party of which he or she was a member when elected to Parliament. Dr Kereke stood on a Zanu-PF ticket for the constituency in defiance of a party directive that wanted him to stand down for the preferred candidate Cde Elias Musakwa.
His candidature has resulted in Masvingo provincial chairman Cde Lovemore Matuke and provincial secretary for administration, Cde Edmond Mhere, being summoned to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee after they signed Dr Kereke’s nomination papers as a Zanu-PF candidate.
Cde Kereke was in the house when Cde Mudenda announced the vacancy, but immediately walked out of the Parliament building. However, the Herald failed to get a comment from him as he drove off.
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