{"id":28457,"date":"2020-10-03T22:24:19","date_gmt":"2020-10-03T20:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.com\/zimbabwe\/?p=28457"},"modified":"2020-10-03T22:24:19","modified_gmt":"2020-10-03T20:24:19","slug":"by-elections-banned-as-khupe-sneaks-into-parly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.cc\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/by-elections-banned-as-khupe-sneaks-into-parly","title":{"rendered":"By-elections banned as Khupe sneaks into Parly"},"content":{"rendered":"

VICE-PRESIDENT Constantino Chiwenga yesterday suspended holding of by-elections to fill in seats for recalled MDC Alliance MPs and councillors, as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) confirmed in a Government Gazette the filling of 15 seats by MDC-T interim leader Thokozani Khupe and her acolytes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The by-elections were scheduled for December, but Chiwenga, who doubles as Health minister, in a statutory instrument suspended them citing COVID-19 fears.<\/p>\n

Khupe, who performed dismally in the July 2018 presidential election after garnering a paltry 45 000 votes, is expected to be leader of the opposition in Parliament.<\/p>\n

Thirty-two parliamentary and 165 council seats recently fell vacant across the country after Khupe recalled officials elected under Nelson Chamisa\u2019s MDC Alliance, claiming she was the country\u2019s official opposition leader.<\/p>\n

In his capacity as Health minister, Chiwenga amended Statutory Instrument 225A of 2020, Public Health COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment)(Amendment) Regulations, 2020 (No 4), to allow for suspension of the by-elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is hereby notified that the Minister of Health has, in terms section 68 of the Public Health Act made the following regulations \u2026 these regulations may be cited as the Public Health COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment (Amendment) Regulations 2020,\u201d the notification read in part.<\/p>\n

\u201cPursuant to subsection (2), the holding of any by-election to fill a casual vacancy in Parliament or in a local authority is for the duration of the period of the declaration of COVID-19 as a formidable epidemic disease, suspended, and if such vacancy occurred while such declaration is in force, no part of the period from the date of such vacancy to the date of the end of the declaration shall be counted for the purposes of section 158(3) of the Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n

In General Notice 2553 of 2020, Zec chairperson Priscillah Chigumba said: \u201cIt is hereby notified, in terms of section 39(7)(a) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13], that persons listed in the Schedule nominated by the MDC-T party to fill the vacancies that occurred among the party-list members of the National Assembly and the Senate following the recall of the incumbent members by the MDC-T party on the grounds that they had ceased to be members of that party, have been approved as National Assembly party-list members and Senators respectively with effect from the date of publication of this notice.\u201d<\/p>\n

MDC-T acting spokesperson Khalipani Phugeni last night said: \u201cYes, I have seen the Government Gazette. I\u2019m not sure as to when they will be sworn in as Members of Parliament.\u201d
\nBefore yesterday\u2019s announcement, most political parties had already hit the ground running canvassing for support ahead of the by-elections which Zanu PF recently said would have been a dress rehearsal for the 2023 general elections.<\/p>\n

Zanu PF and the led MDC-T yesterday welcomed the deferment of the by-elections, with Chamisa\u2019s party saying the move exposed capture of State institutions by the ruling party.
\n\u201cWe remain bound by any regulation that has to do with reducing the spread of COVID-19. As far as the party is concerned, we are ready about any eventuality in terms of by-elections,\u201d Zanu PF acting spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to believe that they are taking into account that it is difficult under COVID-19 for political parties to campaign. For that reason, Zanu PF supports that. It becomes very difficult to campaign under the circumstances and for as long as that situation is obtaining, I believe that the government has done the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

MDC-T acting national chairman Morgen Komichi said: \u201cAs responsible leadership, we cannot go against the pandemic like that. We leave to the authorities to guide us. Though we need by-elections as a matter of urgency, let us wait until we have a favourable environment for people to freely campaign and vote,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But MDC Alliance deputy spokesperson Clifford Hlatywayo said the move was confirmation of capture of State institutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat has happened now is a demonstration of Zanu PF control of State institutions. There have been unconstitutional recalls of our elected officials knowing very well that they want to suspend elections, so this is a well-planned game working with the rebels (MDC-T),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

MDC Alliance secretary for presidential affairs Jameson Timba in a tweet last night said Khupe\u2019s return to Parliament was \u201ca travesty of justice\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cKhupe is now a member of parliament. She participated in elections as a Presidential candidate and got 45 000 votes against Nelson Chamisa\u2019s two million plus. Her party secured two seats. Today she occupies a seat of a person who defeated her candidates. This is a travesty of justice,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Lawyer and political analyst Alex Magaisa said: \u201cCritics warned that COVID-19 would present an opportunity for dictators to mount an assault on democracy. Statutory Instrument 225A effectively banning by-elections in Zimbabwe is living proof of it. (President Emmerson) Mnangagwa is lifting restrictions in other areas, but not on elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

VICE-PRESIDENT Constantino Chiwenga yesterday suspended holding of by-elections to fill in seats for recalled MDC Alliance MPs and councillors, as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) confirmed in a Government Gazette the filling of 15 seats by MDC-T interim leader Thokozani Khupe and her acolytes. The by-elections were scheduled for December, but Chiwenga, who doubles as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":22467,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[615,88],"class_list":{"0":"post-28457","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-policy","9":"tag-khupe","10":"tag-mdc"},"yoast_head":"\nBy-elections banned as Khupe sneaks into Parly - zimbabwe<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/by-elections-banned-as-khupe-sneaks-into-parly\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"By-elections banned as Khupe sneaks into Parly\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"VICE-PRESIDENT Constantino Chiwenga yesterday suspended holding of by-elections to fill in seats for recalled MDC Alliance MPs and councillors, as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) confirmed in a Government Gazette the filling of 15 seats by MDC-T interim leader Thokozani Khupe and her acolytes. 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