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Speaker
defends media commission interviewing process
MISA-Zimbabwe
August 05, 2009
http://www.misazim.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=596&Itemid=1
The Speaker of Parliament
Honorable Lovemore Moyo has dismissed media reports of a deadlock
resulting in the alleged setting aside of results of interviews
conducted with potential candidates for eventual appointment to
the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC).
"There was no deadlock
on Monday. It is normal that people would voice concern if their
preferred candidate received low marks. But the matter has been
finalised. Parliament's presiding officers (Hon Moyo and President
of the Senate Edna Madzongwe) and her deputy Naison Ndlovu met,"
said the Speaker when contacted by the state-controlled national
daily The Herald.
"I am happy to
say we have fully concluded the matter with 12 names to be sent
to His Excellency and six to be sent to the Minister of Media, Information
and Publicity anytime from now."
The list of six will
be submitted to the President who will in turn appoint three members
to serve with the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ). However,
still in contention, of which the public is owed an explanation,
relates to how SROC also bundled the ZMC interviews with those for
BAZ. The advertisements placed for applications to be submitted
for interviews by the Committee were specifically for the ZMC and
made no mention of the possibilities of the interviewees being also
considered and short listed for BAZ appointments.
On 4 August 2009 The
Herald reported that the process hit a snag after Zanu PF officials
led by Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana allegedly "realised"
that the interviews were allegedly fraudulent and biased against
candidates perceived as sympathisers of Zanu PF.
It was reported that
'parties' to the agreement then resolved that all the
names of the 27 candidates interviewed be forwarded to the President
without ranking them. It is against that backdrop that MISA-Zimbabwe
expressed fear that submitting the list of candidates wholesale
to the President would be a serious breach and abdication of responsibility
on the part of parliament pertaining to a process that is protected
by a constitutional provision.
In terms of Constitutional
Amendment No 19 the envisaged Commission shall consist of a chairperson
and eight other members appointed by the President from a list of
not fewer than twelve nominees submitted by the Committee on Standing
Rules and Orders.
It is on the basis of
that constitutional provision that the interviews were conducted
on 3 August 2009 by the Standing Rules and Orders Committee (SROC).
Background
A five-member interviewing
panel comprising members of SROC on 3 August 2009 interviewed a
total of 27 potential candidates who will be short listed for appointment
to the ZMC and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ). A four-member
panel of experts was also in place to determine the final list of
candidates that will be short listed for onward appointment by the
President.
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