adminDefections and floor-crossings are a threat to political parties’ stability in any democracy.
The term floor-crossing is used to describe a phenomenon where one leaves their party entirely and joins another, such as leaving one opposition party to join another. In politics, crossing the floor refers to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system of parliament. The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
MPs such as Ms Nomalanga Khumalo, Messrs Njabuliso Mguni and Abednico Bhebhe crossed the floor after their election in 2008. Messrs Mguni and Bhebhe and Ms Khumalo belonged to the MDC faction now led by Prof Welshman Ncube. The first two were expelled from the party and parliament after they were found guilty of working more closely with MDC-T than their own party, suggesting they had effectively crossed the floor. Ms Khumalo recently said she is loyal to Prof Arthur Mutambara, not Prof Ncube who are fighting for the control of the grouping.
About five others have pledged allegiance to Prof Mutambara.
Zimbabweans need serious politicians who genuinely represent them and the institutions that they support, not politicians searching for opportunities that serve them well by forsaking the interests of the electorate.
Constitutional law expert and chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly, Prof Lovemore Madhuku, said when an MP changes the political party on whose ticket he or she was voted into office, that MP would automatically lose their seat.
Prof Madhuku however argued that when one moved from a party that had divided into factions, as is the case of MDC-M and MDC then that would not be floor-crossing.
“Parties contesting as one at the time of elections which later split do not constitute floor-crossing,” he said.
Prof Madhuku said in the event that an MP moved from MDC to Zanu-PF, that would be floor-crossing.
“The reason why MPs who cross the floor lose their seats is because when they contested for the seat they represented a different party and when they shift parties, ideologies also change,” he said.
MDC provincial spokesperson for Bulawayo, Mr Edwin Ndlovu, said floor-crossing was very selfish and unprincipled.
“When candidates go for elections they sell certain manifestos which contribute towards them being elected into office. For these MPs to be elected into office, it would have been because of the people,” he said.
Mr Ndlovu said floor-crossing was a form of betrayal to the constituents because when they vote, they vote for a party and not an individual.
“We hope that the new constitution will address this issue,” he said.
Mr Ndlovu said politicians who cross the floor were not genuine politicians but all they wanted was personal gratification.
“It is justified when these MPs are fired from the respective parties because when they were elected into office, voters had bought a certain ideology which sealed the deal.
“When the MP changes their party, they should also leave the seat. Such MPs however do not deserve to be in Parliament because they are unethical,” said Mr Ndlovu.
He attributed floor-crossing to poverty saying MPs who were doing this stood a chance to gain money and would therefore stop at nothing.
“Western countries do not care about democracy and because they are the enemy of the people they throw money at these legislators so that they sing from the same hymn book as Morgan Tsvangirai. The west supports Tsvangirai despite his shortfalls and they are not for democracy but for individuals,” he said.
The organising secretary for MDC-T Mr Nelson Chamisa who was initially reluctant to comment on the matter, said instead of focusing on floor-crossing and parties, efforts must be put in place to make sure that MPs are accountable.
“Before MPs cross the floor, it should be a greater mandate to consult the constituents of the area first. There has to be a voice from the constituents.
“Politicians should focus more on issues of the nation, issues of public interest and of mutual concern. We should not always focus on party lines,” said Mr Chamisa.
He said floor-crossing was a betrayal to the people but added that the phenomenon was complex. He said constituents should have the right of way and they should have the ultimate adjudication when it came to floor crossing.
“Politicians have one master and that is the people. When parties fire MPs they will be punishing themselves.
“Before parties even decide to fire MPs, there has to be discourse and debate which are both missing,” said Mr Chamisa.
He said constituents needed to be respected, consulted and be heard before lawmakers decide to cross the floor.
MPs have a responsibility and mandate towards their electors, who entrust them with their welfare and expect them to spearhead developmental programmes in their communities.
So much effort is put into campaigning for a place in Parliament but many deflate as soon as they are guaranteed a seat.
A number of constituencies that have had their MPs crossing the floor and being fired from the parties that had given them the ticket to get into Parliament remain unrepresented to date. This has seen these constituencies lagging behind. Constituencies such as Lupane East, Nkayi South, Bulilima East, whose representatives were Messers Mguni, Bhebhe and Norman Mpofu respectively, have gone without MPs since 2009 after they were expelled from the party.
Zapu spokesperson, Mr Methuseli Moyo said voters needed to be respected because they were the ones who made the choices.
“If the people choose an MP from a particular party and that MP decides to move to another party, it is in actual fact abuse of the voters.
“If party “Y” is voted for, it means that it is the party of choice. If an MP defects, they must surrender that seat,” he said.
Mr Moyo said floor-crossing was unfair on constituents, as MPs would have gone out of their way to campaign under a particular party ticket only to change later on.
He said when these MPs were campaigning, people knew they were in particular parties and when they voted for them it was because of their affiliations.
“Floor-crossing is an insult to the voters. Their choice must be respected,” he said.
Mr Moyo said floor-crossing made the electorate lose faith in legislators.
“It is clear that multi-parties are prominent in Matabeleland. People want to go against that diversity instead of strengthening it.
“It is as if we are the home province for political sell -outs and constituents feel sold-out,” he said.
Mr Moyo suggested that in the event that an elected MP wanted to move from one party to the other, they should first resign from their office as MP and a by-election conducted thereafter.
He said it was unfortunate that all MPs that have been found guilty of floor crossing since 2008 were from Matabeleland.
Mr Moyo believed that it was justified to fire MPs who would have crossed the floor saying no party would want to keep a sell-out.
“This unethical behaviour shows that these politicians are not solid, they are easily swayed and they are not leadership material,” he said.
Bongani Ndlovu