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How does parliament work in Zimbabwe? |
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Monday, 25 August 2008 |
 Lovemore Moyo of Zimbabwe's main opposition party won the vote for parliament speaker on Monday with 110 votes, dealing a blow to President Robert Mugabe in a post-election power struggle.
In Zimbabwe's upper house, Edna Madzongwe, a candidate of President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party, won the election for presidency of the Senate.
Mugabe intends to officially open parliament on Tuesday despite protests by Morgan Tsvangirai's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) that this would scuttle negotiations on forming a unity government to end the current political impasse.
Here are some details about Zimbabwe's parliament.
A BICAMERAL CHAMBER:
* Zimbabwe's parliament is bicameral, consisting of a Senate or upper house, and a House of Assembly, or lower house.
* Senate - There are 93 seats, 60 elected by popular vote for a five-year term, 10 provincial governors nominated by the president, 16 traditional chiefs elected by the council of chiefs, two held by the president and deputy president of the council of chiefs, and five appointed by the president. * House of Assembly - the lower house is made up of 210 members, increased from 150 last March.
* Lovemore Moyo was elected on Monday as Speaker of the lower house, a senior position in Zimbabwe's political hierarchy. He succeeded John Nkomo. The speaker will be a powerful figure in Zimbabwe's new hung parliament. He is likely to take charge of controversial debates if there is no power-sharing deal. The speaker can also act as president in the absence of the vice president or Senate president.
* The Cabinet is appointed by the president and responsible to the House of Assembly.
PARTY SEATS:
* Neither of the two major parties holds a parliamentary majority -- opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC holds 100 seats in the lower house, against the ruling ZANU-PF's 99.
* The breakaway MDC has 10 seats and there is one Independent seat. Whoever the breakaway MDC sides with gets an effective majority in the legislative chamber.
* The Senate results after the 2008 elections showed contested seats split 30-30 between the combined opposition and the ruling party. Control of the Senate will depend on the president, with powers to directly appoint 15 members and strongly influence who gets other positions.
DEADLOCKED TALKS:
* Mugabe's aides say the government must continue functioning, but the formation of a new cabinet could scupper or delay further talks with the opposition.
* Tsvangirai said that Mugabe's intention to open parliament was a "repudiation" of a Memorandum of Understanding on the basis for talks to end a political deadlock that followed disputed June elections.
* Tsvangirai confirmed that the talks were deadlocked over the roles of president and prime minister in a new government. Mugabe is expected to remain as president but, backed by security chiefs, he is reluctant to cede key powers. (Reuters)
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