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Zimbabwe's Elections 2013 - Index of Articles
Swearing
in of new legislators postponed
Tererai Karimakwenda, SW Radio Africa
August 26, 2013
http://www.swradioafrica.com/2013/08/26/swearing-in-of-new-legislators-postponed/
Newly elected members
of parliament, who were due to be sworn in on Tuesday, will have
to wait until next week, as most of the legislator-elects will be
in Victoria Falls for the U.N. World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)
General Assembly. If they’re not there they’re at the
Harare Agricultural Show.
The delay was announced
by the Clerk of Parliament, Austin Zvoma, who confirmed to journalists
Sunday in Harare that the majority of legislator-elects would be
at the controversial tourism event, which has seen the UN criticized
for choosing Zimbabwe as the venue.
Both events will run
until the end of the month and it was not possible to conduct the
swearing-in ceremonies until 3rd September, according to Zvoma.
The parliamentary clerk
is quoted as saying: “Key people like the President and the
bulk of our MPs-elect will be in Victoria Falls and some attending
the annual Agricultural Show in Harare. Now we are waiting for the
closure of those two important events.”
The outgoing
MDC-T chief whip in parliament, Innocent Gonese, explained that
the swearing-in is conducted by Zvoma, as the clerk of parliament,
but the new constitution
adopted this year stipulates that the clerk works in conjunction
with the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC).
Explaining the process
for SW Radio Africa, Gonese said when all members are sworn in,
nominations for Speaker of Parliament and Senate President are accepted
by the clerk and voted on by the new members. If there is more than
one nominee, the voting is done by secret ballot.
In terms of who is eligible,
Gonese said: “Former MPs and Senators are eligible, as well
as anyone who is eligible to be elected. Basically, anyone on the
voters’ roll is eligible. However, the political parties will
usually have decided on their choice already.”
If the elected Speaker
of Parliament is a sitting member of the House, their seat becomes
vacant and a by-election will have to be held in their constituency.
But in the Senate, the party of the elected nominee selects a replacement
in that Constituency.
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