MDC-T wins Speaker’s post

beating Zanu-PF aspirant, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, in an election at Parliament Building in Harare yesterday.
The poll was held after the Supreme Court nullified Mr Lovemore Moyo’s 2008 election as Speaker.
This was after Tsholotsho North legislator Cde Jonathan Moyo and three MDC legislators – Mr Moses Mzila Ndlovu (Bulilima West), Mr Siyabonga Ncube (Insiza) and Mr Patrick Dube (Gwanda Central) – proved there were irregularities in the manner in which Mr Lovemore Moyo had been elected.
In yesterday’s poll, Mr Lovemore Moyo garnered 105 votes to the 93 received by Cde Khaya Moyo.
MDC-T legislators broke into song and dance soon after the announcement of the results.
Mr Moyo immediately took his oath of loyalty and gave his acceptance speech.
Clerk of Parliament Mr Austin Zvoma presided over the election and at the commencement of proceedings ejected Mr Lovemore Moyo from the chamber because he was ineligible to vote.
On Monday, Mr Zvoma had said Mr Lovemore Moyo relinquished his Ma-tobo North seat in notices to President Mugabe and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission soon after the nullified 2008 poll.
“I have observed that the former Speaker is in the House and he is not on our list, he will not participate and I request that he leave,” he said.
This did not go down well with MDC-T secretary-general and Harare East representative, Mr Tendai Biti, who protested to no avail with Mr Zvoma saying objections could not be entertained because the House was technically not yet in session because there was no Speaker.
Mr Lovemore Moyo left following consultations between MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai – who is a non-constituency MP – and party Chief Whip Mr Innocent Gonese.
Mr Zvoma then swore in Vice President John Nkomo and Cde Oppah Muchinguri as non-constituency MPs in line with provisions of Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment Number 19) Act.
He also explained the circumsta-nces that precipitated the need for the Speaker’s election.
Cde Larry Mavima (Zvishavane-Runde) nominated Cde Khaya Moyo and he was seconded by Cde Bright Matonga (Mhondoro-Ngezi) while Mr Biti nominated Cde Lovemore Moyo and he was seconded by Mr Willas Madzimure (Kambuzuma).
MDC-T’s Mr Tongai Matutu (Ma-svingo) then nominated Cde Jonathan Moyo (Tsholotsho North) but the Zanu-PF lawmaker declined the nomina- tion.
After the nominations, the parties were given an opportunity to sell their candidates and Mr Biti again tried in vain to use the platform to air his party’s misgivings about the manner in which the election was being conducted.
Mr Zvoma advised him to seek redress in the courts. The MPs then voted and the Clerk declared Mr Lovemore Moyo the winner.
In his short acceptance speech, Mr Lovemore Moyo said: “Fellow Honourable Members, I would like to thank you for this honour that has been bestowed on me.
“I attribute this victory to the progressive MPs across the political divide.”
Mr Zvoma said four legislators who were eligible to vote had not turned up while one ballot paper was spoilt.
“There were 199 members who vo-ted out of 203 that were eligible to vote, four were not present and everyone present voted,” he said.
The Clerk said he had received two reservations from Zanu-PF and the MDC-T on the status of two ballots they deemed unacceptable but had overruled them though there was one spoilt paper.