We are ready to withdraw from Parly: Mahere

Zim Now Writer

Mt Pleasant MP Fadzayi Mahere said opposition legislators are ready to withdraw from Parliament in protest against the recall of their fellow MPs if the people advise them to do so.

The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change lost a number of its MPs to recalls that were spearheaded by Sengezo Tshabangu, who claimed to be the party’s secretary-general.

Nelson Chamisa and his CCC party are claiming that Tshabangu is an imposter but the claim was quashed by the courts after the CCC’s failure to produce legal documents supporting their verdict.

Critics have been calling for CCC to withdraw from Parliament in protest against the expulsion of their members. But Mahere said this decision can only be made after consultation with supporters and a critical analysis of the key factors.

“I can assure you that if the CCC’s Citizens’ National Assembly resolves that we should withdraw from Parliament, we will.

“To put the matter to bed, in October, Parliamentarians and Councillors were ordered to disengage from Parliament pursuant to a resolution of the CNA. This was complied with by everyone,” Mahere said.

She cited several questions that needed to be answered before the decision to withdraw from Parliament is made.

She asked: “Missing from the discourse, however, is a critique of the consequences of such a withdrawal. Are citizens prepared to hand Zanu PF a two-thirds majority on a silver platter? Are we aware that they’ll be able to wantonly amend the Constitution, including removing term limits for a sitting ‘President’? Do we know this means ED could rule for life? What will the withdrawal mean for policymaking?

“Are we prepared for budgetary discussions to happen under the cover of night with no representation? Will parliamentary committees be effective if politicians of the same party only are investigating each other’s work? Will the threat of the whipping system not hamper the necessary oversight function? Would we be happy to have statutory instruments considered in our absence and deemed constitutional without scrutiny? Are we happy to have legislation pass without any contribution from the citizens through committees or debate? Are we okay with reports of national institutions being swept under the carpet? Would we be comfortable with Question Time bring reduced to a box-ticking, choreographed exercise because nobody is there to ask the hard questions?”"

Mahere further asked: “Are we happy to surrender to a one-party state? What would be the next step and how will it be achieved?

“Or are we prepared to fight hard under tough conditions for the citizens’ voice to be heard in spite of the odds?”

Mahere believes that citizens have the prerogative to decide what they want.

“I don’t know what the answer is but I know that being an MP is gruelling, time consuming and requires a lot of hard work, thinking and service. Some MPs can earn in an hour what Parly ‘pays’ in three months. Many sacrifices are made.

“May the voice and best interests of the people win as we all work towards a better Zimbabwe for everyone,” she said.