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Matthew Mare
The CCC legislators boycotted the official opening of the First Session of the 10th Parliament by President Mnangagwa.
Reports have indicated that CCC leader Nelson Chamisa had ordered his members to abscond the opening of Parliament.
This raises the question; are political parties now part of the legislature and have power to determine attendance?
Do Parliament Standing Orders allow for political parties to interfere with parliamentary business?
Do legislators represent a political party or constituency in Parliament?
To what extent are parliamentarians protected from the vagaries of the political parties which they represent?
The oath of office requires impartial individuals and yet the CCC legislators continue to prioritise political orders over standing rules.
Laws must clearly state the role and limitation of political parties in terms of the extent to which they can be allowed to meddle in legislative business.
The Constitution, from first page up to the hardcover has no provision for political parties to dictate to their members to attend or not to attend parliamentary business.
Should the legislators be reminded that they are being paid taxpayers’ money or else parties must look after their own legislators?
If legislators are using taxpayer’s money, it means they are accountable to the citizens. The taxpayer’s money cannot continue to be wasted for political expedience.
Any action that does not derive direct benefit to the taxpayers should be regarded as abuse of public funds and infringement of the right to self-determination.
Parliament is not a family business where you choose to go to work or not.
Parliamentarians as the public servants are responsible to the elected Government as they take oath of office and allegiance to it, not a political party.
Legislators develop and deliver public programmes or services, inform policy-making, and provide evidence-based advice.
During the past, there used to be recalls by the opposition MDC-T resulting in by-elections.
Do parties really care about the taxpayers’ money that they will be wasting?
Parliamentarians must be recalled, only if their conduct is un-parliamentarian than petty party politics.
Public interests must be the basis for recalls since the taxpayer’s money is involved.
The law must be equally mooted to thwart hooliganism behaviour in Parliament like boycotting and using the House to promote a political agenda void of the legitimate concerns of the constituencies that they are representing.
Party business should be confined to party buildings and not Parliament.
The aura of Parliament is being undermined by such behaviour that is being allowed to continue unchecked.
There are legally provided platforms like rallies; political parties should use them to play politics and not to bring such behaviour to Parliament.
Surely, calling oneself a Government in waiting, with this rogue mentality shows there is a problem.
Chamisa should introspect and remember there is a thin line that separates a political party and insurgency.
One can digress into insurgency advertently or inadvertently.
Some few weeks ago, the CCC was talking of reforms and the PVO Bill which the President has returned to Parliament, yet its legislators spend time singing, wearing yellow and boycotting debate to please Chamisa as an individual and forgot to debate meaningful aspects.
Western countries must be ashamed of supporting an individual who does not understand kindergarten basic governance issue.
Parliament is not a party headquarters, but an important arm of the Government that operates on the foundation of non-partisan.
Zanu PF can equally sing its revolutionary songs there, but they know that Parliament is a place to push legal reforms to further its interests.
At the end of five years, Zanu PF would have achieved its agenda and CCC with music albums full of legislator’s lyrics.
Voters should also be careful when electing people into office. The electorate should not vote for the sake of change, but should look at what the political parties have done for the people.
If “God is in it” and allowed the CCC to be defeated, so why pushing for a boycott of Parliament?
Chamisa is behaving like a stray bullet; it harms anyone and anything that it come across.
Frankly, this is unwise political strategy especially from a person of the stature of an advocate.
The purpose of any form of boycott is to cause an economic loss on the target.
Given that its public money involved, are taxpayers supposed to fund an erstwhile personal agenda?
Boycotting after being elected is a new political culture being introduced by Chamisa which is perhaps a political theory in making.
It is immoral for an elected official to boycott official duty of Government to whom benefits and the mandates are being derived from.
It is pertinent to mention that whatever the issues are, international or national it should be settled in Parliament. There is no virtual Parliament outside the recognised arm of Government.
When conscience skips a leader, unfortunately it does not say goodbye.
Chamisa must show political maturity, and this is done by respecting the arms of Government to which Parliament is one of the pillars.
If he has the ambition of being the future leader, he should change his attitude towards attending national events and his desire to use legislators and Parliament to salivate his political appetite.
In politics if a leader starts to behave like a supporter, then his/her credentials begin to be questionable.
Chamisa once ordered his legislature not to accept loans extended to parliamentarians, but they defied him.
As they continue to defy Chamisa and question his orders, so is the rate at which his political dividends are diminishing as well in CCC.
Chamisa’s desire to be too controlling and manipulative is soon going to be exorcised when he gets deserted by his own key members for being alpha and omega of political strategy.
There should be a hands-off approach to parliamentary business. Laws must be enacted to avert unsanctioned conflation of politics and Parliament.
Good governance demand non-interference, separation of powers and independence of the three arms of the State.
Online Reporter