via Electoral Amendment Bill bulldozed through parliament | SW Radio Africa by Tererai Karimakwenda on Friday, May 30, 2014
The views expressed by Zimbabweans and several legislators in parliament were ignored by Justice Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who on Thursday went to great lengths to bulldoze the Electoral Amendment Bill through the house without any proposed changes.
MP Innocent Gonese, who sits on the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, described how Mnangagwa manipulated the voting process in parliament, making sure the Electoral Bill passed without any of the reforms that would bring it in line with the new Constitution.
Gonese told SW Radio Africa that after the second reading of the Bill, the chairman of the Portfolio Committee presented a report that also contained several recommendations made by legislators. The proposed reforms were echoed by several members of the House, including Gonese, who is the MDC-T chief whip.
“The Minister’s response was quite emphatic at that point in time that he was not going to entertain any proposals or any amendments. He practically rejected everything that was being proposed after that second reading. It became quite clear that no amendments were going to be formally adopted, because of the attitude already exhibited,” Gonese said.
He explained that the presiding officer who oversaw the voting took advantage of the way MPs sit according to their political affiliation. Voting was done by shouting “yay” or “nay” and a quick visual count saw the Electoral Bill sail through without any proposed changes.
Gonese said one of proposed amendments was to allow Zimbabweans the right to vote regardless of where they are, be it in the diaspora, in the hospital or in prison.
Another key amendment ignored by Mnangagwa involved the voters’ roll, which according to the new Constitution should be compiled and managed by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC). But the Bill that passed stipulates that this remains the responsibility of the Registrar General, a ZANU PF appointee and supporter.
“It looks like they are going to use their majority to railroad and bulldoze their way through and not listen to any voices of reason or dissent,” Gonese fumed.
The Bill now awaits a signature from Robert Mugabe before it is formally adopted as law.
COMMENTS
I didn’t know people were still dreaming of a nikuv erection in 2018
MICKEY MOUSE MPs!
Stand up Zimbabwe. Stand up in prayer. Your power to change your nation lies in prayer: in the power of life that is in Christ Jesus. “I My people who are called by My name will come and ‘repent’ I will come and heal their nation.” Paraphrased! No repentance! No restoration! Wake up church of Zimbabwe!
God helps those who help themselves; this is a man-made problem, Mnangagwa is a man and so is Mugabe! It is people like you who have treated these tyrants as if they are gods and they took advantage of the stupidity to rid rough shod over the people. You asking the people to pray; what exactly are they supposed to be praying for?
God granted all humans the brain to think and those nations that have applied themselves have prospered and those who have chosen the easy way out; content with whatever others give them or praying for God to do what they are too lazy to do for themselves; have suffered.
Which God are you praying to or is that too complex for you too? Because if it is the same Jesus Christ; He has already given you His answer; those who fail to make use of the talents given to them, then even the little they have will be taken away from them. The Chinese have been shipping out by the plane-load Marange and Chiadzwa diamonds whilst you waste time thinking what to ask of the Lord!
Are you one of those waiting for the “Prophet” Makandiwa’s economic boom? I understand he sold millions of “blessed” apples for $5 each. Most of those who bought the apples are living on less that $1 a day – even the little they have is will be taken away!
Zimbabweans are using prayer as a ready-made excuse for neglecting their civic duty of holding those in public office to account and for seating on their brains and allowing it to turn into fatty tissue.
As a nation, Zimbabwe has many, many mentally challenged people which ex-plains why the nation is this mess and is stuck there. How is it possible that so many people can be so shallow thick and slow; that is the mystery of our time!
The greatest trick that Mugabe ever pulled on Zimbabweans was to make them believe they are the smartest Africans ever when actually the opposite is true & the sad truth is becoming more & more evident as years of Mugabe’s oppression pass by. This false sense of being superiorly wise & intelligent amongst Zimbabweans has bred a myriad of other symptoms which form the core of the reasons why, on one end, as a nation we find ourselves in this painful predicament today and why, on the other end, Mugabe has managed to maintain his ruthless grip on his destructive & corrupt presidency over us. Chief amongst these symptoms is our well known Arrogance, a trait we inherited from him (Mugabe), who is the master of it. It is this arrogance that has kept us apart as a people, without any hope of ever uniting so that we can confront this evil regime that has been exposing us to all sorts of misery right from the time it came into power. You see, each & everyone of us thinks he or she is better than every other person & we all think everyone else is somehow inferior to us. As a result not only do we loathe each other, but we also look down upon our fellow Africans. Not only do we think we are too good to be involved in the general consesus but we are also afraid to stand up & voice our opinions & our plight for the fear of being a victim of scorn & ridicule from our fellow arrogant countrymen, which is the reason why other than Morgan Tsvangirai, the late, great Learnmore Jongwe & other few individuals in the MDC organisation, there hasnt been any serious threat to Mugabe’s power. We need to start being humble as a nation & having true love for each other if we are to turn our lives around.
So if thats what truly happened why dont you guys resign as MPs rather than legitimise their fraud?
Good point!
This is what the MDC should be fighting against instead of being on each other’s throat for no political gain
These morons do not give a stuff it is always about them
Well since what these morons are doing affect us all; what are we doing about them?
This the final nail in the coffin of any hope this Zanu PF dictatorship could be trusted to do something to ensure the some at least some modicum of free and fairness in the next elections. Those who argued that the nation should accept the regime after it rigged the July 2013 elections as “a political reality” must now hang their heads in shame.
The Mugabe regime is illegitimate and we must expend all our energy on nothing else but making sure that they are haunted out of power so the nation can appoint a interim administration to implement the reform and hold free and fair elections. This is the only way out of this mess!
Agreed Mukori, let’s make life difficult for these thieves. Give your back to these idiots. I would like to call it the give your back or middle finger campaign.
Civil disobedience is our tool.
Pasi neZwanu.
The president must reject this bill and only give his consent if approprate changes are incorporated. We must make life very difficult for munangagwa because he can not be trusted with power.