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Harare Bureau
Fifty candidates are vying for the post of Clerk of Parliament that fell vacant in November last year after the retirement of Austin Zvoma. National Assembly Speaker, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, confirmed the development yesterday.

“There’re 50 people who applied and the committee on Standing Rules and Orders will soon start shortlisting candidates for interviews,” said Adv Mudenda.

He said shortlisting and interviews could be done “anytime from now”.

He declined to get into detail saying some of the issues were administrative.

Applications were closed at the end of last month.

Zvoma retired as Clerk of Parliament after holding the post for 25 years.

A Clerk of Parliament is appointed for a six-year term and may be reappointed at the expiry of his first term. There has been speculation over who would be the next Clerk of Parliament.

Names touted so far include acting Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda and former Deputy Clerk of Parliament Helen Dingane.

Chokuda is the Deputy Clerk of Parliament while Dingane now works for the Pan-African Parliament in South Africa.

The Committee on Standing Rules and Orders appoints a Clerk of Parliament in terms of Section 154 of the Constitution.

A Clerk of Parliament reports to the Speaker of the National Assembly and in the absence of the Speaker, to the President of the Senate.

Duties of the Clerk of Parliament include attending at the table when Parliament sits and advising the Speaker of the National Assembly, President of the Senate and deputy presiding officers on all legal and procedural matters.