adminZvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
MDC-T’s attempt to bring up a motion on the validity of the July 31 2013 harmonised elections flopped yesterday after the Speaker of National Assembly, Cde Jacob Mudenda rejected it on the grounds that the Constitutional Court had since made a ruling certifying the polls as free, fair and credible.
In his ruling, Cde Mudenda said the motion that seeks to debate the polls was in violation of the Constitution and Parliament’s Standing Orders.
This was after Gweru Urban MP, Mr Sesel Zvidzai rose on Wednesday to give a notice of motion calling the House to have the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee conduct an enquiry on the polls in which President Mugabe romped to victory against MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.
Cde Mudenda said the notice of motion came on the back of a Constitutional application by Mr Tsvangirai who approached the court challenging the election result where a determination was made.
The notice, he said, also came against the background in which 95 MDC-T losing MPs approached the Electoral Court challenging the election result where 65 were withdrawn leaving the court to make a determination on the remaining.
“The Notice of Motion is unconstitutional in that it seeks to have the National Assembly debate a matter in which the Constitutional Court has made a final decision,” said Cde Mudenda.
“Further the notice of motion is unconstitutional to the extent that it seeks to have the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs enquire on the July 31 2013 election which the Constitutional Court ruled as being free, fair and credible and its decision on those matters is binding.”
“Accordingly the Chair rules that the notice of motion by Honourable Zvidzai is unconstitutional and in violation of Standing Orders and therefore unacceptable in its current form.”
Cde Mudenda had on Wednesday requested Mr Zvidzai to give him time to study the constitutional implication of his motion. MDC-T Chief whip had protested saying the motion had gone through all the bureacratic processes of Parliament, but Cde Mudenda shot down that argument, saying as Speaker, he had the final say.
The MDC-T sought to discredit the polls, which were certified by Sadc, African Union, Comesa, African Carribean and Pacific countries among others as free and fair. Zanu-PF secured a comfortable two thirds majority in the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, Parliament has since completed constituting portfolio committees for legislators.
Online Reporter