Kholwani Nyathi
24 August 2008
Harare — Paul Themba Nyathi of the Arthur Mutambara-led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has emerged as the strongest candidate for the powerful post of Speaker in the Seventh Parliament which convenes tomorrow.
Zanu PF has proposed John Nkomo for the post.
Nyathi, who is a war veteran and former MP for Gwanda, is said to be more acceptable to Zanu PF because of his background in the liberation struggle and is also winning support from MPs from the rival MDC-T.
The small faction of the MDC, which won 10 seats during the March 29 harmonised elections, is seen as a potential power broker in the hung parliament as both Zanu PF and the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC cannot individually win contests in the house without its support.
Both Zanu PF and MDC-T have remained mum on their choice for the speaker’s post, arguing that they do not want to expose their strategies.
The group appears to have overcome problems caused by some of its MPs who were reportedly threatening to go along with their colleagues in the MDC-T who are likely to nominate Matobo North legislator Lovemore Moyo for the post.
Nyathi has also reportedly received backing from MPs aligned to former MDC-T women’s assembly chairperson Lucia Matibenga who views Moyo as a Tsvangirai ally.
Matibenga fell out with Tsvangirai last year after the latter allegedly pushed for Theresa Makone’s elevation to the helm of the women’s assembly. The group aligned to Matibenga was last week reportedly lobbying heavily for Nyathi to spite Tsvangirai and Moyo.
On Wednesday, Mutambara’s faction convened a national council meeting to caucus on the election of the speaker, where the 10 MPs are said to have distanced themselves from media reports that they wanted to vote with the main MDC in parliament.
Welshman Ncube, the faction’s secretary general, said the council deliberated extensively on the issue which appeared in the media alleging that some of the party’s MPs had attacked the party leadership on allegations that they (the leadership) had signed a sell-out deal to form a government with Zanu PF without the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai.
He said: "The council noted the denials of the Members of Parliament repudiating and disassociating themselves from statements attributed to them in the media."
The post of speaker is one of the issues being discussed under the ongoing power-sharing talks between Zanu PF and the MDC factions.
Zanu PF and Mutambara’s MDC have reached an agreement on the way forward following weeks of negotiations and they are waiting for Tsvangirai to make up his mind.
But there were signs of serious divisions in the main MDC after Tsvangirai and Tendai Biti issued conflicting statements on President Mugabe’s decision to convene parliament.
Tsvangirai initially said the MDC had no problem with the move only to backtrack after Biti said it was a "repudiation" of the memorandum of understanding that set the terms and timeframe for the talks.
"Nyathi is going to capitalise on the confusion in the MDC and with the backing of Zanu PF MPs, he is going to sail through," said an MDC insider. "Although there are still some MPs from his faction who feel they were not consulted on the choice for speaker, they are not likely to influence the election in a significant way."
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So all what Mugabe sponsored media can do is lie and some of their lies are so blutant and will come to haunt them. What a gang of murderers in the name of liberation. Where is your Paul Themba Nyathi? You take Zimbabwean for granted.
All Mugabe's cheating and intimidation by employing his corrupt police to arrest MDC ministers as they entered, finally back-fired on him when Lovemore Moyo resoundingly won the key position of Speaker of the House.
I think there is no confusion in MDC-T for Nyathi to capitalise on. ZANU (PF) is going to capitalise on the unprofessional ZRP to arrest MDC-T MPs to prevent them from voting for their candidature for speaker. Nyathi is endanger of losing support from his faction's 10 MPs. The 10 MPs are beginning to realise that Welshman Ncube and Mutambara are trying to use them to perpetuate Mugabe's illegal rule. The 10 MPs and the 6 Senators are ready to resign their parliamentary seats and to stand for bye - elections on MDC-T tickets. Being Ndebele MPs representing the Matebeleland… [Read Full Text]