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Herald Reporter
Members of Parliament now face suspension from the House of Assembly for disorderly conduct that includes disrespecting the President, Chief Justice, Speaker of the National Assembly and Senate President during a sitting.

This follows the adoption of new standing orders by the National Assembly, which have a cocktail of measures aimed at reining-in errant legislators.

The measures are expected to end unruly behaviour by legislators, mostly from the opposition MDC-A, who have been heckling or booing other members, failing to rise when the President walks into the Chamber including when members of the Judiciary, led by the Chief Justice, attend opening of Parliament.

The National Assembly adopted the regulations on Tuesday after Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi moved a motion for their acceptance after the Parliament Standing Rules and Orders Committee came up with the measures.

The 26-member Committee on Standing Rules and Orders is the top committee that organises Parliament and sets the rules.

It includes the presiding officers and representatives of the major parties, both Government and opposition.

It is chaired by the Speaker of the National Assembly and includes by right the Senate president, the deputies of these two officers, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, the leaders of Government business in the Senate and the Assembly, the leaders of the opposition in the Senate and Assembly, the Chief Whips of Zanu PF and MDC Alliance in the Senate and Assembly, and the president of the Council of Chiefs.

In addition the President nominates two legislators to sit, and the Speaker and Senate president one each. Senate and Assembly members elect four more from each house.

The standing orders now make it clear that legislators should rise when the President, Chief Justice and presiding officers enter or leave the chamber.

“At the commencement of business and when the house adjourns or business is suspended, members must stand in their places until the chair presiding has entered or left the chamber, as the case may be. On attendance of President, a member shall stand in his or her place whenever the President enters or leaves the chamber,” reads the standing orders.

In the past MDC-A legislators would sing and make noise during a State of the Nation Address by the President.

The regulations also bar heckling and booing while another legislator is on the floor.

“No member must interrupt another member whilst speaking save with the consent of that member or unless the purpose of such interruption is to call attention to a point of order or breach of privilege suddenly arising; or call attention to the want of a quorum,” read the regulations

A member commits an act of disorderly conduct if the member:

• defies a ruling or direction of the Speaker or Chairperson of Committees;
• attempts to or causes disorder of whatever nature during the attendance of the President or other dignitary of during an address by the President;
• declines to retract words ruled unparliamentary by a chair or declines to offer an apology when ordered to do so by the chair.

The regulations prescribed several penalties that include ejecting an offending legislator from the chamber, suspending them for specific days or charging the member with contempt of Parliament in terms of the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act.

A member who is suspended from the House cannot enter the precincts of Parliament, or participate in the activity of Parliament or a committee of Parliament.

Zanu PF Chief whip Cde Pupurai Togarepi welcomed the regulations saying they would bring sanity to Parliament.

“What is important is for people to realise that the President is part of the legislature because he is the one who signs bills into law. What has been happening is that Parliament, which comprises MPs from different parties would debate and enact Bills, which would be signed by the President whom they are refusing to recognise and respect. This is quite absurd and unusual. So these regulations will certainly bring sanity to the House.”

MDC Alliance secretary-general Mr Charlton Hwende said the decision to adopt the regulations in the absence of the opposition was irregular.