The Zimbabwe’s Parliament website was down and Tuesday’s hansard was only released yesterday. Here is what Speaker of Parliament Mudenda said about the boycott of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address when he officially opened the 10th Parliament.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Before I move for the adjournment of the House, it is recognised that this session in which His Excellency the President addressed the nation and officially opened the First Session of the Tenth Parliament, Members of the CCC Party were not in attendance. In terms of our Standing Orders in the National Assembly, Standing Order Number 88 when read together with Standing Order Number 114 of the National Assembly and Standing Order Number 89 when read together with Standing Order number 114 of the Senate Standing Orders; it is therefore clear that there has been some violation of those Standing Orders.
Members of the CCC Party have come to Harare after Parliament was summoned by His Excellency the President and they have stayed in hotels, and have been given and facilitated their travel to Harare and accordingly therefore are in violation of these Standing Orders and in terms of the powers vested in me as Speaker and under Standing Order Number 215, I instruct the Clerk of Parliament to ensure that;
(1) the CCC Party members will not receive their coupons to go back home [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear], and
(2) their stay in hotels at the taxpayers’ generosity and commitment, this will be deducted [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear].
I further request the Leader of Government Business to look into the Political Party Finances Act to find out whether or not further sanctions cannot be attached.
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