Zimbabwe to know way forward today?

Zimbabweans will have a clear indication of where the country is going this afternoon according to Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga.

Matinenga said this in the House of Assembly yesterday when the House met for 15 minutes but could not discuss amendments to the electoral laws as ordered by the Southern African Development Community on Saturday.

The minister told the House that he was quite aware that Members had come to discuss the electoral amendments but there were “behind the scenes meetings” that were being held.

“I believe that by the end of morning tomorrow (today), we would be having a clear indication as to where we are going.”

He then asked the House to adjourn until this afternoon.

Earlier, the House suspended the business of all Committees of Parliament indefinitely because of the high prevalence of no quorums.

Deputy Speaker Nomalanga Khumalo said the chief whips of the three major parties in Parliament had agreed that business be suspended because of the primary elections being conducted by the various political parties.

Zimbabwe is due to hold its elections on 31 July but SADC urged the government to ask the Constitutional Court to postpone the elections to allow for reforms.

Earlier reports said that SADC had asked for a 14-day extension but Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s party says the elections can be delayed up to the end of October.

SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salomao and African Union Commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma have said they will go by the court’s decision.

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