Lovemore Moyo is the new Speaker of the House of Parliament
The BBC have a report here:
Mr Moyo won with 110 votes, against 98 for Paul Themba Nyathi from the smaller faction.
Our correspondent says the results mean at least one Zanu-PF MP voted for Mr Moyo in the secret ballot.
The MDC has 100 seats - one seat more than President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF - while the Arthur Mutambara-led MDC faction has 10 seats in the House of Assembly.
August 25th, 2008 15:23
Amazing, how did they pull this off - when always on the back-foot against Mugabe. Obviously most of the 10 Mutambara MPs are not willing to work with ZanuPF in parliament and have backed the MT candidate. And at least 1 ZPF (maybe more) has voted against their preferred candidate, Nyathi.
However, I think Nyathi would have made a good speaker but obviously under different circumstances. Anyone know anything of Lovemore Moyo?
August 25th, 2008 16:29
To me this looks like a compromise Bob has setup. he is busy creating a GOVT whilst he gives away less powerful positions like Speaker to MDC. I give and you take kinda thing. The ZPF vote is definitely a surprise meaning we are in a for hectic parliament seating. But the talks are still on. Tsvangs must have that power. I don’t see any power sharing but power retention on the part of Bob. there has to be power transfer. If they want power sharing Bob must give up the cabinet and duties of running the govt to Tsvangs. He can have Shiri, Chiwenga and Co.
August 25th, 2008 17:22
I don’t understand any of this. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
August 25th, 2008 17:39
I expect Mugabe to declare a state of emergency and close down Parliament. Then it will not matter who is Speaker.
Look at Burma to see where Zimbabwe is going.
August 25th, 2008 19:30
I posted this thought several days ago, but decided to resubmit it, as it highlights the nature of the beast - in this case Bob…
A colleague of mine observed that as far as he was aware there have almost been NO African leaders who have ever stepped down down out of power by choice. So I GOOGLED the matter, and really, apart from the most obvious and famous and beloved Statesman Africa has ever seenn - Nelson Mandela, it looks like only two others. At least that I can find.
The rest have, without exception, choosen to await thier demise in office, either by the sword or by some other interesting, but nevertheless terminal method.
So, my challenge is - does anyone seriously believe that this primitive, immature behaviour so manifest in African “leadership” (loosely used) is likely to simply evaporate conveniently just when we need Mugabe to disappear?
It is naive I would say to think one can negotiate or reason him and his out of office. Rather more realistic is the probability that he &/or they will have to be removed against their will, or simply die - naturally or some other how.
I’m NOT advocating voilence per se - this is simply a statement of irrefutable fact borne out time after time in Africa.
August 25th, 2008 20:15
Botswana appears to have had all peaceful transitions with proper elections.
I suspect that one reason Mbeki supports Mugabe is that a loss of power by Zanu-PF would set a precedent for a loss of power by the ANC.
August 25th, 2008 23:32
Hear! hear!
August 26th, 2008 00:44
A statement of irrefutable fact cannot, of necessity, rely on a theory, especially a dubious one. The form of departure of sundry African heads of state is a collection of not necessarily related historical facts. Go ahead, make a list! But the reconstruction of this list into an irresistable trend, on the other hand… now that’s ideology pure and simple. It’s also asking WAY too much of statistics, and too little of history or geography.
So what say we shove that idea where it belongs. This Parliamentary situation in Zimbabwe is unprecedented but if it’s in line with anything, it’s in line with an increasingly vigorous struggle for democracy, mounted by a newly empowered civil society and co-inciding with the development of fault lines in old alliances.
I can’t wait to find out who voted against the Mugabe/Mutambura plot and why, but even if we never do find out, we’re suddenly sitting with a much more interesting situation than we were this morning!
August 26th, 2008 08:34
The position of Speaker may have been a significant one up to now in the Zim Parliament, but I hardly think he-who-will-not-relinquish power is likely to let it remain so while it is in MDC hands. Those who paled and are gobsmacked at the MDC vistory, reportedly stung by taunts across the floor, will even now be plotting revenge behind closed doors once again.
I tend to be of a perhaps more pessimistic outlook, like Ants, but my biggest fear of all is the JOC, the Big Six, their strategies modelled on those of Hitler and Mao coming into further play as they feel more threatened by the ‘will of the people’ which is once more on display to the world.
August 26th, 2008 09:09
There is no chance whatsoever that Mugabe will allow his power to be lost. The power behind his throne is simply irresistable. Do you think for one moment that the likes of Air Marshall (sic) Perence Shiri, the commander of 5 Brigade in the 80’s and clear mass murderer, is going to risk his neck by allowing Mugabe to fall?
These people will have to be forced out of office by the combined strength of African nations. It is time for Mbeki to resign and for Africa to beg Ian Khama to lead the revolt against the malevolence of Mugabe’s cohort.
August 26th, 2008 10:27
Perhaps Mugabe & co. were less concerned about the position of Speaker because they were focusing their efforts on getting control of the Senate: http://zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=19409
If the vote count is correct, it means some of MDC-T’s senators voted against their own party, which is very, very disturbing.