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Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
MORE than half of parliamentarians in the National Assembly are expected to follow proceedings while standing or from outside as the chamber can officially accommodate about 160 members at a given time.The National Assembly is composed of 270 legislators, 210 elected in constituencies and 60 additional female members who were elected into the House following the adoption of the new Constitution which provides for a quota system.
In the last session, the Lower House had 214 legislators who would squeeze to fit in during major parliamentary events such as official opening and national budget presentation.
The problem of space to sit is, however, not found in the Senate as the number of Senators has been reduced from 99 in the last session to 80, in terms of the new Constitution.
Addressing journalists during a media briefing yesterday, Clerk of Parliament Mr Austin Zvoma acknowledged the challenge posed by the limited space in the National Assembly.
“As you may appreciate, it is now evident that the facilities here were not meant for 350 members, plus staff and the visitors because this is the only Parliament building in the country,” he said.
“We expect very good attendance, but it can only accommodate the maximum that it can. The others might have to sit in the gallery, stand in the passage or wait just outside the Chamber to go in and debate.”
Mr Zvoma said the constraint was not only to the chamber, but other facilities like toilets as it did not only accommodate legislators, but staff of Parliament and visitors.
Asked on the progress about the much talked about new Parliament building in Mount Hampden just outside the city, Mr Zvoma said the administrators of Parliament were equally waiting, as the process was being driven by the Executive.
He said they had submitted requisite technical information to the relevant ministry.
“We have been shown the site in Mt Hampden, which is a beautiful site in our view, an appropriate site,” he said. “That is as far as we know.”
Turning to the new session, Mr Zvoma said they were prepared for all the necessary rituals such as swearing in, official opening and induction of the legislators.
He said they were now just waiting for President Mugabe, who is also Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, to fix the venue and time, for the official opening of Parliament.
He said as Clerk of Parliament, he would administer the first ritual – the swearing-in of legislators – to be followed by the election of presiding officers before President Mugabe officially opens Parliament, setting the tone of the legislative agenda for the session.
Mr Zvoma said the five ministers that the President is allowed by the new Constitution to appoint would not have voting powers in Parliament.
“We are ready for that, we await for the fixing of the date, place and possible time by His Excellence the President after inauguration,” he said.
Mr Zvoma defended the non-publication of salaries for legislators, saying while they were public officers, the law provided every citizen the right to privacy from disclosure of one’s individual earnings.
He said Parliament still owed service providers such as hotels as well as outgoing legislators in sitting, travel and subsistence allowances.
Zanu-PF has 197 in legislators in the National Assembly, while the MDC-T has 70, with the other faction of the MDC-led by Professor Welshman Ncube having one.
Mudzi South legislator Mr Jonathan Samukange is the only independent member in the House.
Online Reporter