MDC pulls out of Speaker’s race

Speaker of the House of Assembly and has withdrawn its candidate – Mr Paul Themba Nyathi – from the race.
MDC’s position was made public as dethroned Speaker Mr Lovemore Moyo said he had taken Clerk of Parliament Mr Austin Zvoma to the High Court to get an order declaring him incumbent legislator for Matobo North constituency.
The post fell vacant after the Supreme Court nullified Mr Mo-yo’s election a fortnight ago saying the process was fraught with irregularities and breached the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
The MDC decision to abstain from voting follows a meeting of the party’s hierarchy yesterday.
Party deputy spokesperson Mr Kurauone Chihwayi yesterday said: “We met as a party and resolved to withdraw our candidacy from the race. Our candidate was Mr Paul Themba Nyathi.
“We are withdrawing him be-cause we have more serious business to pursue than the Speakership post.”
Observers pointed out that the party was unlikely to land the post as already the Deputy Speaker, Ms Nomalanga Khumalo is from their party, which is the smallest in Parliament.
Mr Chihwayi, however, confe-ssed that MDC was disappointed that both Zanu-PF and the MDC-T had dealt a blow to efforts by Prof Ncube to wrest the Deputy Prime Minister’s post from Prof Arthur Mutambara after a party congress earlier this year.
“We are not going into an alliance with anyone now. We are abstaining from the process.
“We are going to attend parliament tomorrow (Tuesday) but our House of Assembly representatives are not going to take part in the election of the speaker.”
Mr Moyo was elected Speaker on August 25, 2008 after garnering 110 votes against former MP Mr Themba Nyathi who got 98.
Mr Moyo has since taken Mr Zvoma to court seeking an order to declare him Matobo North MP.
In an urgent chamber application at the High Court, his lawyer Mr Chris Mhike of Atherstone and Cook said Mr Moyo should retain his Parliamentary rights and privileges until the expiry of the Seventh Parliament.
Constitutional and Parliamentary Minister Advocate Eric Matinenga is cited as the second respondent.
Mr Moyo claims that after the Supreme Court judgment nullifying his election, Mr Zvoma told the media that he did not revert to being an MP and that he was now an ordinary member of the pub-lic.
“To lose both the Speaker of Parliament’s post, and my seat as a Member of Parliament would constitute a deeply palpable inequity, whose far reaching consequences would be extremely outrageous and would amount to travesty of justice,” he submitted.
Mr Moyo submitted that he never resigned from his position as Matobo North MP and the vacancy arose only by operation of law.
No date has been set for the matter.
Attorney-General Mr Johannes Tomana has written to Mr Zvoma advising him that Mr Moyo reverts to his status as Matobo North legislator.
Meanwhile, former legislator for Sunningdale Mr Gabriel Chaibva has insisted that that Mr Moyo becomes an ordinary member of the public.
In an opinion sent to Mr Zvoma, Mr Chaibva said Mr Moyo lost his Parliamentary seat the moment he became Speaker.
The former legislator accused the legal experts saying otherwise of “gross intellectual dishonesty”.

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