Responsibility of Members of Parliament

Albert Nhamoyebonde
Most members of Parliament that are on Facebook are seeking ideas on how they could best serve their constituencies. This is a welcome development that they do not see themselves as super beings that are unapproachable but want to do their best to satisfy the aspirations of the electorate.
Contrary to some political pronouncements by some political parties that they do not want to be associated with the Government, most MPs are prepared to listen to advice from the generality of the Zimbabwean people wherever they may be earning a living. What opposition MPs and all MPs for that matter should understand is that, by being paid by the tax payer, they are actually civil servants in another sense.

They have no choice but to work with the government of the day. It is also important to note that even the voter in any constituency, who did not vote for that particular MP, is still being represented by the candidate that won in that constituency. For any political party that has MPs in Parliament to dissociate itself from the government of the day is regarded as being the height of irresponsibility.

As long as an MP swears to uphold the dignity of Parliament and the Constitution and is paid by the state, there is no way that MP can turn around and refuse to serve the State, represented by the Government. It is another thing to refuse a ministerial post if one is offered but another thing to say that one will not be associated with the Government in any form of activity.

For example, there shall be Government programmes in every constituency, therefore, the MPs should work with Government structures to uplift the standards of living of the people. This may be in form of building schools, boreholes, bridges, or distribution of food and inputs for agriculture. It will be the responsibility of every MP to make sure that the people in that constituency are well represented and that the programmes initiated by Government are well understood by the people.

So, how can an MP boycott Government programmes? The MP is a representative of the State not the party that they belong. As long as an MP takes the oath of allegiance to Zimbabwe, he or she has to work with Government in office. There are those that are happy to work with foreign governments but say that they will not work with the Government of their own country. It is sad indeed.

The MPs may be different from career civil servants even though they are all paid by the state. The main difference is that MPs are politicians and may criticise the Government of the day in Parliament, according to the rules set out by them.

It is time now for Parliament to come up with stringent rules that will not tolerate any MP to boycott proceedings of the state, like the opening of Parliament by the President.

I would suggest that boycotting the presidential address should be severely punished by Parliament, to such an extent that the particular MPs could be expelled from Parliament.

The voters who elected them deserve to be represented in Parliament and that the MPs should attend all proceedings to represent their constituencies, failing which, any candidate that came second in that constituency should, instead, take that seat if the MP is expelled. We have no money for by-elections.

In the USA, there is a law of recall, where the voters can petition the government to have a rerun of the election if they believe that the MP has lost the confidence of the voters in that constituency. Boycotting proceedings of Parliament should be one of the reasons that will trigger a recall by the voters.

Political machinations have no room in Parliament but outside Parliament. Every MP has a great responsibility entrusted on his or her shoulders to support the lawful decisions of the majority in Parliament. One cannot swear to uphold the tenets of Government institutions and then act otherwise.

There have been loose statements made about the judiciary, another arm of the state for political reasons. Aspersions have been cast against the army for political reasons.

Surely, Zimbabwe is not a banana republic, where all and sundry can say whatever they want and claim to be exercising their democratic right. It is actually undermining the state and its institutions.

The USA has what they call the Patriot Act, which allows the government to prosecute those found to be working against the interests of the state.

For example, an American cannot work against the state with a foreign government or enemies of the state. But, here in Zimbabwe, we have individuals who go all over the world denouncing the government of the day, even promoting sanctions against the state. Under the Patriot Act in the USA, these individuals would be prosecuted.

When MPs visit any foreign country, they become agents of the state, and are expected to put the interests of Zimbabwe first.
Any political disagreements shall only be exercised at home. That goes with any politicians worth their salt to do the same.

There shall be no longer any Zimbabwean question worth talking about in foreign countries, whether in the region or beyond after the harmonised elections. The only issue now is for all politicians to promote Zimbabwe interests wherever they may travel to outside the country.

Zimbabwean politics shall be practiced at home not in foreign countries.