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Cde Gumbo

Bulawayo Bureau
ZANU-PF is unfazed by threats from MDC-T Members of Parliament that they will boycott the official opening of the Eighth Parliament by President Mugabe.In an interview yesterday, Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo said since the revolutionary party formed a quorum in Parliament, they were not worried about the boycott by the opposition party.

“If MDC-T decides to boycott Parliament opening it’s their own funeral. In fact, they can do whatever they want but nothing will stop us from opening the Eighth Parliament.

“As Zanu-PF we are a majority party in Parliament and constitute a quorum so their  frolics  will  not  affect us at all,” he said.
Zanu-PF won a two thirds majority in the National Assembly and also dominates the Upper House whose members were selected using a system of proportional representation.

MDC-T has directed its MPs to abstain from voting for Speaker of Parliament and Senate President.
The party’s leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai had initially considered asking all their MPs not to take up their posts in Parliament, claiming elections had been rigged by Zanu-PF.

The plan was abandoned over fears of a rebellion, and now the party says its newly-elected lawmakers will not be in the chamber when President Mugabe officially opens Parliament.

MDC-T spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said his party would not provide a candidate for the Speaker of Parliament position.
Even if the party was interested in fielding a candidate, technically the party does 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. We are also not going to attend the official opening ceremony,” said Mr Mwonzora.

The Eighth Parliament will have 270 MPs and 80 Senators.