85 MDC legislators back Chamisa

By Blessed Mhlanga

A total of 85 legislators elected on the MDC Alliance ticket publicly threw their weight behind party leader Nelson Chamisa at a meeting held at the party’s Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House headquarters in Harare on Monday.

Party secretary-general Chalton Hwende said only 15 of its MPs and senators did not attend, including organising secretary Amos Chibaya, who was involved in a road accident on Sunday on his way to Zvishavane, party spokesperson Daniel Molokele currently in South Africa, Marondera Central MP Caston Matewu also in hospital after being involved in an accident and three others who are outside Zimbabwe.

“We are sure that over 90% of the legislators are backing the leadership of president Chamisa and they are clear about the challenges that we are facing. We only have three who are Morgen Komichi, Douglas Mwonzora and Elias Mudzuri, who have chosen to work with Zanu PF and they are free to go, it’s their democratic right,” Hwende said.

The MDC Alliance legislators, according to Hwende, agreed that they would consult their constituencies on the way forward, where the option of mass resignations from the Legislature
would be put in the hat.

“We agreed that legislators accompanied by members of the national executive would go back to their constituencies and consult on the way forward. The people are the owners of this struggle and as natural arbiters, hold the final decision,” he said.

A statement released by the party after the meeting said all parliamentarians who attended the caucus supported the temporary withdrawal from Parliament.

“The caucus recommitted its allegiance to the people of Zimbabwe who voted for the MDC Alliance, commitment to the MDC Alliance and its leadership led by Adv Nelson Chamisa. Expressed solidarity with the expelled leaders of the caucus and put its weight behind them.

“The caucus unanimously agreed to support the decision by the leadership of the party to suspend all parliamentary activity pending consultation of the structures, general membership and Zimbabweans at large,” the statement read.

Komichi, however, said MPs when faced with the decision of being recalled from Parliament would side with their faction, and would dump Chamisa.

“An MP when faced with the decision of going out of Parliament or staying, will choose staying, the matter on who controls the MPs having been decided. We have received calls from lots of MPs who are going to join us at our congress, some are even helping fund the congress,” he said. News Day