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THE long wait is over for Parliament which resumes sitting today with a totally different composition, as Zanu-PF takes its place as the dominant party in both Houses. That Zanu-PF is in control of the debate in Parliament is a good development for the country which has been itching for constructive engagement for a long time.
The effectiveness of Parliament had been thrown into disarray over the years when the MDC formations had a significant stake in the House.
The situation was worsened by the inclusive Government which somehow empowered the MDC-T to use Parliament to thwart progressive discussions in the House.
But Zanu-PF won overwhelmingly in the National Assembly, gaining 197 seats after factoring in 60 women elected by proportional representation, while MDC-T has 70, MDC two with one independent.
In the Senate, Zanu-PF is also dominating with 37 members, to MDC-T’s 21, MDC’s two, 18 chiefs and two representatives of people living with disabilities.
The figures show that Zanu-PF commands over two-thirds majority in the National Assembly whose threshold is 180 members, giving the ruling party the power to even amend the Constitution, if need be.
What is important as the First Session of the Eighth Parliament sits today is for Zanu-PF not to take its majority for granted.
We expect the ruling party to tackle the developmental agenda that has always characterised debates in the House since independence in 1980.
In fact, this Parliament is a throwback to the 1980s development agenda as a lot of the gains we had made since then were decimated by the West’s illegal economic sanctions regime.
With sanctions having hit the country hard, it is a fact that we are facing almost the same situation that we were confronted with at independence.
A lot of rebuilding needs to be done to contain the damage that has been caused by the illegal sanctions imposed by Western countries on Zimbabwe.
The honeymoon is over for the new legislators who must immediately “put their shoulders to the wheel” and ensure that they deliver on promises made by Team Zanu-PF during the election campaign.
It is this first session of the new-look Parliament that must set the tone for the direction the legislators want the country to take.
We expect that there will be no time for trivialities which were slowly becoming the norm in the House following the penchant by MDC legislators to dwell on self-aggrandisement agendas instead of serving the people.
Each MP must introspect before making contributions so that they become helpful.
We do not expect the legislators to move away from the agenda set out by President Mugabe when he officially opened the first session last week.
President Mugabe’s speech was mainly derived from Zanu-PF’s manifesto which was clear on the developmental needs to be pursued by the party.
The legislators must adopt a Results-Based Management approach to improve both the country’s status and that of their constituencies.
The Bills expected to come during this session as outlined by President Mugabe are important for the development of the country and the legislators should treat them as such.
The new Mining Development Policy to be enunciated in the Mines and Minerals Bill would obviously boost mineral development and maximise benefits from the resources which are crucial for funding Government projects.
Other Bills expected include the Consumer Protection Bill, the Zimbabwe Quality Standards Regulatory Authority Bill, the Public Private Partnerships Bill, the Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill and the Banking Amendment Bill.
Most importantly for the legislators will be the pursuit of the indigenisation and economic empowerment policy that has seen communities benefiting in different ways.
We expect the new legislators to deal decisively with some of the problems that have been affecting the country, starting with an accountability of the resources that will spur development.
It is a fact that the MDC-T and MDC legislators will not be an impediment to debate because of their small number.
The legislators from the opposition parties have already shown that they are irrelevant to this Parliament by boycotting the official opening of the First Session.
This means that by boycotting the official opening, the legislators are not privy to the legislative agenda as set out and their contributions will as a result be of no consequence.
So, this leaves Zanu-PF legislators without any impediment in passing laws that move the country forward.
There is no room for failure in such circumstances, as the ruling party directs all resources to implementing its election manifesto.
Online Reporter