MDC-N to back MDC-T candidate for Speaker

By Lance Guma

The smaller faction of the MDC led by Welshman Ncube delivered the proverbial ‘sucker-punch’ to ZANU PF Monday, after announcing it would now support the MDC-T candidate Lovemore Moyo for Speaker of Parliament, instead of boycotting the election.

Addressing the media at their offices in Harare’s Hillside suburb, Secretary General Priscilla Misihairambwi Mushonga said they were concerned with the timing of Energy Minister Elton Mangoma’s arrest, as well as threats to arrest more MPs. Five MDC-T MPs, including co-Home Affairs Minister Theresa Makone and the former Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo, are said to be already in hiding.

Last week the National Standing Committee of the Ncube MDC had resolved to boycott the election, but on Monday Misihairambwi said that they could not sit by and watch while ZANU PF tried to rig the poll by reducing the number of MDC-T MP’s eligible to vote.

“In principle we cannot watch such injustices take place. Whilst our view remains that morally the MDC-T does not deserve our vote, we have now decided that due to our belief in the fundamental values of justice, freedom and democracy, we will urge our MPs to vote for the MDC-T candidate,” Misihairambwi said.

The election will be held on Tuesday after Clerk of Court Austin Zvoma unilaterally cancelled the first scheduled vote last week. On Monday he was reported to have convened a press conference where he outlined the procedures for the vote and confirmed it will be held at 3pm and that ballot papers had been printed.

Last week the MDC-T accused Zvoma of pandering to the whims of ZANU PF by cancelling the first scheduled vote. They said ZANU PF was not only stricken by factionalism, but knew they did not have the parliamentary numbers to win the vote.

Lovemore Moyo, the MDC-T candidate and former speaker, is up against ZANU PF’s national chairman and former ambassador to South Africa, Simon Khaya Moyo.

The vacancy for Speaker of the House arose after a recent controversial Supreme Court ruling that the August 2008 election of Lovemore Moyo was not done by secret ballot. The court based its decision on the claim that 6 MDC-T MP’s waved their ballot papers in the air, something legal experts say could not have affected the validity of the vote. SW Radio Africa