The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka Sunday News Reporter
THE Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, has challenged civil society and members of the public to push for amendments to the Electoral Act to include provisions that enable constituencies to re-call underperforming Members of Parliament.
Advocate Mudenda said such a provision will drive MPs to fully represent their constituencies in the house and be accountable to the electorate. Speaking to members of the civil society and media practitioners during a public engagement in Bulawayo on Thursday, Adv Mudenda also encouraged the electorate to scrutinise candidates first before voting them into office to avoid electing lazy MPs.
He made these remarks while responding to a question from the floor on what measures parliament would take against legislators who abscond parliamentary sittings. This comes against a background where the 8th Parliament of Zimbabwe has adjourned three times so far due to lack of quorum after members would have absconded parliament. At least 70 MPs constitute a quorum in the National House of Assembly.
“Now there is no law that allows the electorate in a constituency to recall an underperforming MP. I urge you as civil society and the public to fight for that law, push for amendment of the electoral law. With such a law I tell you no MP will sleep in parliament. It will push them to work hard, speak up and to be noticed knowing that they have to fully represent the electorate. In other jurisdictions they have such provisions. Members of the public can write petitions to recall MPs and there will be a by-election,” he said.
Added Adv Mudenda; “Section 149 of the Constitution allows members of the public to petition Parliament to enact, amend or repeal legislation. Use that provision to push for the reforms that you envisage. Section 149 of the Constitution provides that: “Every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to petition Parliament to consider any matter within its authority, including the enactment, amendment or repeal of legislation”.
The Speaker said without such provisions in the Electoral Act that allow underperforming MPs to be recalled by constituencies, members of the public should demand meetings with their legislators and take them to task over their performance or lack of in the august house.
He added that Parliament had also engaged political parties and encouraged them to ensure that their MPs attend parliament all the time until parliament adjourns in terms of its procedures. He said members of the public had a duty to remind legislators to be accountable to the electorate adding that the electorate must also thoroughly examine candidates before electing them into office.
“There is another side of the coin. It is members of the public who are responsible for voting MPs into office. They (MPs) don’t vote themselves into office. Why don’t you scrutinise the candidates first before voting? Campaign and vote for the person you are confident will not go to parliament to sleep and make the numbers,” said Adv Mudenda.
He said also noted an improvement in terms of attendance to parliamentary sessions by Cabinet Ministers following interventions by President Mugabe.
“That has improved after intervention by his Excellency President Mugabe and he has announced in Cabinet that Ministers should attend parliament business in terms 107 of the constitution. There is no absconding by Ministers at the moment. What is happening now is that if they are on official duty inside or outside the country they write to the Speaker stating that on this particular date I will be away,” he said.
