THE MDC-T yesterday said its MPs-elect will boycott the official opening of Parliament by President Robert Mugabe to register their displeasure at the way the July 31 polls were conducted.
REPORT BY SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER
The officials would, however, attend the swearing-in ceremony slated for next Tuesday.
MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora told NewsDay that the party was also not going to field any candidates for the positions of Speaker of the House of Assembly, President of the Senate or their deputies.
“MDC-T MPs are going to attend thae swearing-in ceremony so that they take oath, but they do not have to attend Mugabe’s official opening of Parliament session,” said Mwonzora. Mugabe is yet to set the date for the official opening.
The MDC-T has rejected the outcome of the July 31 elections claiming massive rigging.
“Attending the official opening ceremony and listening to the speech is tantamount to legitimising the manner Mugabe was elected, yet we know the election was stolen,” Mwonzora said. “Everybody knows that our failure to get justice in the courts by denial of records does not bring legitimacy as the elections were a monumental fraud.
“I do not think the MDC-T will be able to provide a candidate for the Speaker position as technically we do not have the numbers to win against Zanu PF. We will also not support any Zanu PF candidate for the position and what it simply means is that we are not going to vote.”
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He, however, said the party was going to retain Innocent Gonese as MDC-T chief whip.
Zanu PF has already rallied its MPs-elect to choose former Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission chairperson Jacob Mudenda as Speaker of the House of Assembly.
The party’s politburo also whipped its Senators-elect to retain Edna Madzongwe as Senate President while former chief whips Joram Gumbo and Tambudzani Mohadi will also retain their posts in the House of Assembly and Senate respectively.
Meanwhile, Clerk of Parliament Austin Zvoma told journalists last Saturday that all was set for the swearing-in ceremony next Tuesday, adding elections for the presiding officers of the Eighth Parliament would be by secret ballot.
