Rebel MPs to ditch Biti – DailyNews

via Rebel MPs to ditch Biti – DailyNews Live by Fungi Kwaramba  11 MAY 2014

Seven renegade MDC MPs, who initially joined the Tendai Biti renewal camp, are on their way back to the main formation led by Morgan Tsvangirai after Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda indicated on Thursday he had no powers to save their jobs, the Daily News can reveal.

The Daily News is reliably informed that informal talks were taking place between seven of the legislators who had earlier sided with expelled party secretary-general Biti.

Already, the MDC has directed those willing to return to the party to make formal requests.

Nelson Chamisa, the party organising secretary confirmed the developments but refused to divulge names of the seven legislators.

“In line with the ‘big tent’ approach of our president (Morgan Tsvangirai), we are saying even those who were misled to attend the Mandel conference, the door is open. We value loyalty and membership, those who feel that they went there accidentally, we are taking them back,” said Chamisa.

In a statement, Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, who is doubling as the director of information in MDC says they are now going to recall the rebel MPs riding on the letter from Mudenda.

“The response by Speaker Mudenda leaves the door open for the MDC to exercise its power of recall according to chapter 129(k) of the Constitution. Therefore, the party is going to proceed with recalling those Members of Parliament that no longer belong to it,” reads part of the statement.

With their jobs now on the line, the runaway MPs are reportedly keen on a return to the party, a move that could further expose Biti.

Jacob Mafume, spokesperson of the renewal team however, said the MPs were not going anywhere since they never left the party.

“The thing is that they never left the party MDC, (Morgan) Tsvangirai was suspended, but this is what a village bully always does when he is cornered, he takes the victim aside and asks for forgiveness and then tells people that the victim is asking to be forgiven,” said Mafume.

Mudenda washed his hands off the MDC debacle effectively directing the warring parties to the country’s courts —  a move that both parties are unwilling to take.

“What other letter do they want to write, the Speaker has made it clear that it is an internal matter, as for us we are not going to court, they can go because they want MPs expelled,” said Mafume.

In his letter to the august House, Biti claimed that only he as the bona fide  secretary-general of the MDC can write a letter recalling legislators and yesterday the main opposition claimed that the “Speaker Mudenda has refused to aid Biti’s sinister move of a Parliament coup. He has in fact, educated Biti that in circumstances where he intends to overturn and over-throw an obtaining legal order; Parliament is not the appropriate platform.”

“As such, the Speaker of Parliament has not made a ruling endorsing Biti’s position, neither has he ruled that Biti is the sole communicator with Parliament,” reads the MDC statement.

 

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