Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), winner of the highest number of seats in the March parliamentary elections, has won the race for Speaker of the country's new Parliament.
Lovemore Moyo was elected with 110 of 208 ballots cast after new parliamentarians were sworn in on Monday, the government-controlled ZBCNews agency reported.
Moyo's election is a victory for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai. It was widely speculated that Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF would support the candidate of an MDC splinter group led by Arthur Mutambara to deny the post to Tsvangirai's party.
In March the MDC won 100 seats, Zanu-PF 99 and Mutambara's wing of the MDC 10. There is one independent member of parliament.
SW Radio Africa suggested on Monday that the 110 votes which Moyo won included 99 from the MDC, seven from the MDC (Mutambara) and four from Zanu-PF. The BBC reported that Paul Themba Nyathi of the MDC (Mutambara) received 98 votes.
Moyo pledged after his election to handle the position with professionalism for the benefit of ordinary Zimbabweans, ZBCNews added. Another MDC legislator, Nomalanga Khumalo, was elected the deputy speaker.
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Yebo these are indications that Mutambara & W. Ncube do not understand the politics of the times. Hoping the seven MPs from MDC-M will chase them away so that they can have commited leadership than those who hob nobe with the the blooded ZANUPF.
what does this have to do with Mutambara and Ncube? Moyo has been voted in lets move on and govern the country as best as possible.
This also shows the leaders never to take people for granted. Tsvangirayi would have won the Presidential election had he not foolishly boycotted - a lot of the Zanu supporters who were not being beaten up had decided to vote for the opposition just like the Zanu MPs who voted for MDC speaker
Fantastic results for democracy in Zimbabwe! This is the first step toward change in Zimbabwe, not thru a GNU, which essential would have had Mugabe choose the speaker. This election result of Mr. Moyo as speaker of the house proves yet again that within Zimbabwe there are voices of reason both in MDC-Mutambara, Zanu-pf, and MDC-T. The results would not have been achieved without collaborations from the 3 parties. The biggest outcome in my opinion is that Mutambara led MDC alliance with Zanu-pf has been Broken! Those who feared Mugabe may now be more inclined to stand up for themselves.
Oh look, democracy continues to prevail in Zimbabwe despite the repeated claims that it doesn't.
I trust Tsvangirai will now perform one of his now familiar, trademark about turns and stop trying to underming the commencement schedule for parliarment.
It would also be charcacter building for the likes of Prem and kjrs to retract their now disproven comments (I'm an optomist and stranger things have happened like man's travel to space) about Mugabe, Zanu-PF and the democratically elected parliarment of Zimbabwe blocking a fair vote for speaker by intimidating MDC and other opposition MPs and keeping them away from the House.
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