Zimbabwe to abolish by-elections: Zimbabwe President and Zanu PF First Secretary Emmerson Mnangagwa and former MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora are working on the legal technicalities to enable them to abolish by elections and appoint MPs according to human rights activist Pastor Evan Mawarire. The development follows the controversial recall of MPs belonging to main opposition MDC Alliance by MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe.
Writing on Twitter, Mawarire said, “Douglas Mwonzora, working with Paul Mangwana, Gutu Obert & the Junta-PF, (ZANU PF) have been, for the past month, looking at proposals on how the constitution can allow parties that recall MPs, to replace them with party nominees without holding elections like under Proportional Representation.”
How Zimbabwe can abolish by-elections
Zanu PF may attempt to use its majority in parliament to change the constitution and increase the number of proportional representation in parliament and extend it to constituencies that fall vacant due to a recall. The move will allow Mnangagwa to cherry pick members of parliament of his choice and appoint them MPs in under the name MDC-T. Political activists in the country are urging citizens to resist such disregard of the rule of law.
Abolishing by-elections in Zimbabwe will be a new low
Replacing elected members of parliament and replacing them with party nominees will be one of darkest moves in the history of Zimbabwe democracy. The southern African nation attained independence in 1980 but the people have hardly felt independent.
The country has experienced a sustained human rights violation record and absolute disregard of the will of the people through manipulation of the courts.
MDC Alliance response to the recall of their MPs by MDC-T
The main opposition MDC Alliance has responded to the recalling of its MPs from parliament by another party with assistance from the ruling government as ‘a declaration of war.’ The party has threatened to end Zanu PF’s ‘reign of terror once and for all’.
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- Thokozani Khupe fires MDC Alliance MPs
- Drama as MDC-T secretary general Nixon Nyikadzino recalls MDC-T MPs