via MDC MPs squizzed out of parliament 28 October 2014
No room at the Inn! I was invited to attend the opening of the 2nd session of the 8th Parliamentof Zimbabwe and witness a display of ‘all the king’s horses and all the king’s men’…. I marched in the ceremonial procession but to my disappointment found no place to sit or stand in the National Assembly chamber.
I had no choice but to come back to my office. The chamber accomodates only about 200 out of the 270 members of the House. During sittings some of us sit in the Speaker’s Gallery meant for visitors but today we were barred by Parliament staff from there as they reserved it for visitors. Some ZANU PF members occupied our opposition bench and insolently refused to vacate our spaces. About 100 of us from across the political divide were turned away as today all ministers, some of whom are Senators took up space. National Assembly members fitted at last opening ceremony on 22 August 2013 only because my party MDC T boycotted the opening ceremony in protest of the rigging of the 2013 elections.
I can’t imagine what the Parliament administration was thinking when it allowed the opening ceremony to proceed in the National Assembly when the numbers so clearly show that the chamber is way too small. It in fact poses a danger to the safety of MPs as all 270 of us were squeezed into a narrow passage out of the building to start the procession which made me feel as if we were cattle being herded into a dip tank. The jostling, shoving and pushing was so bad that a glass pane shattered and broke near the exit door. The shoving snd pushing for seats inside the chamber was so crude and undignified. Most unparliamentary!
I thank the Parliament administration though for the historic tea and sandwiches they served pending the procession, pleasant surprise indeed -there has been no simple tea service at Parliament in the last (7th) Parliament and so far in this 8th Parliament. š Section 150 of the Constitution categorically provides that ‘Parliament may sit at other places other than the ordinary seat of Parliament, but only on grounds of public interest, security or convenience’. The official opening should have been at a venue where we can all fit!
I’ll follow today’s proceedings, which will be mainly the President’s speech otlining this session’s legislative agenda, from the Hansard which I hope will be out tomorrow, and share them here with you.
I will also, as I promised give you my report of what I did for you as your MP in the 1st session that started on 22 August 2013 when you elected me, and ended in September.
COMMENTS
If you guys resigned your seats in protest. All of you that are not Zanu, you would cause a diplomatic disaster for Zanu. You all continue to legitimize Zanu. Because you are all power seekers. see British Politics.
The Conservative party conference this year is being dominated by rumours of defecting Tories. Following Mark Reckless MPās defection during Ukipās conference on Saturday, on the eve of the Toriesā annual event, rumours of further converts have persisted.
Iāve heard from a well-connected Tory insider that there is āalmost definitelyā going to be another defection during Conservative party conference. And this clearly isnāt an isolated titbit. Tory commentator, LBC presenter and political publisher Iain Dale sent a tweet earlier today that has sent the conference rumour-mill into overdrive:
They do what they believe. Not what Morgan or Robert do. RESIGN MDC ALL OF YOU THEN YOU WILL SEE PROGRESS.
Cant ague with that
I agree with the Doc. Something needs to happen in Zimbabwe and we ALL need to come to the party including ZPF
I am hardly surprised! You cannot even spell “squeezed.”
I am hardly surprised. You cannot even spell “squeezed.”
We heard the message loud and clear even if it means the spelling of squeezed is wrong…..secondly do you think Zpf will loose sleep bcz MDC is boycotting parly? Not at all remember Zim ndeyeropa
Yes I agree with the doc… a vehicle and fuel coupons are more important, get out of there asap…don’t think your contributions are making any difference to what is happening anyway…
This is a shame. ZANU cannot even build a natioal assembly. It was supposed to be the Kopje area them Darwendale…maybe move it to the International conference centre. Surely the parliament admin knew the numbers expected and just let people in like that. Stupid ZANU and MDC guys who wanted to attend.
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.
Plato
Doc I agree. See below what happened elswhere.
Thailand’s opposition MPs are to resign en masse, .
Opposition-backed street protesters have been trying to oust PM Yingluck Shinawatra, saying she is controlled by her brother, former PM Thaksin.
Protest leader Suthep Thauksuban, a former deputy PM, has rejected dialogue and called for a final push to overthrow the government on Monday.
Ms Yingluck has proposed a referendum on the country’s political crisis.
She repeated that she was ready to dissolve parliament and hold fresh elections if agreement could be reached with her opponents.
The protesters want Ms Yingluck’s current government to step down and be replaced by an unelected “People’s Council”.
They allege that her government is controlled by her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is in self-imposed exile after he was overthrown in a military army coup in 2006 and convicted of corruption.
Final push
All 153 MPs of the main opposition Democrat party, Thailand’s oldest, will resign.
He should not complain because the MDC was party to the decision to increase the number of legislators, needlessly too, one might add. So, in terms of lack of planning skills, there is simply no difference between the twp parties. This guy is talking as if outside the opening of parliament there is adequate space for MPs. There just isn’t. Maiti munogara pai when you agreed to increase the numbers?
ndawana ma video akapenga pa zimspark.com
This just goes to show how flippantly ZPF take national business. The circus isn’t funny anymore!