The Nomination
Court will sit on December 18 to receive names of candidates interested in
contesting in the by-elections.
The vacancies
arose following the recall of sitting legislators by the party’s interim
secretary general Mr Sengezo Tshabangu. The announcement of the dates was made
in a Statutory Instrument of a Government Gazette published yesterday.
“Whereas, in
terms of section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the seats of
members of Parliament for Pelandaba, Goromonzi South, Seke, Chegutu West,
Zvimba East and Mkoba North have become vacant by reason of ceasing to be
members of CCC of Siziba Gift Ostallos, Chatiza Stephen, Madzimbamuto
Tapfumanei Willard, Chivero Admore, Mutasa Oliver and Chibaya Amos on the 10th
of November, 2023, who were the elected members of Parliament for the
respective constituencies,” reads the proclamation.
“And it is
provided by section 39(2) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13], that after the
President has been notified in terms of the said section of vacancies in the
membership of Parliament, he shall issue a proclamation ordering a new election
to fill the vacancies in the same manner, mutatis mutandis, as is provided in
section 38 of the said Act in regard to a general election.”
The polls will
precede another round of by-elections to be held next Saturday, which were
occasioned by another recall of CCC legislators after Mr Tshabangu wrote to
Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, saying the recalled
legislators had ceased to be members of his party.
In both
instances, attempts to challenge their recall failed after the High Court
upheld the recall saying there was no justifiable cause for the court to
interfere with that decision.
This meant that
efforts by the recalled legislators to stop by-elections in both instances
failed and polls in respect of December 9 this year and February 4 next year
will proceed.
There have also
been recalls in Senate, Proportional Representative MPs, and local authority
and this would mean that elections to replace those office bearers would be
held in terms of the prescribed law that relates to them.
Other PR
legislators that were recalled include Emma Muzondiwa (Midlands proportional
representative), Machirairwa Mugidho (Masvingo proportional representative),
Constance Chihota (Mashonaland East proportional representative), Monica
Mukwada (Manicaland proportional representative), Sekai Mungani (Midlands
proportional representative), Linnet Mazingaidzo (Harare proportional
representative) and Daphne Gutsa (Mashonaland East proportional
representative).
Those recalled
from the Senate are Webster Maondera, Jameson Timba and Vongai Tome, all from
Harare, and Editor Matamisa and Ralph Magunje from Mashonaland West. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment