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Zvoma setting the ru-les that will govern the voting.
This follows the Supreme Court ru-ling three weeks ago nullifying the election of Mr Lovemore Moyo (MDC-T) as Speaker on the grounds that his election was flawed.
In a fresh turn of events, the Professor Welshman Ncube-led MDC for-mation that had threatened to boycott the election, yesterday pledged to back the MDC-T candidate.
The battle for the chair is pitting Za-nu-PF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo and Mr Lovemore Moyo.
Addressing journalists at Parliame-nt Building yesterday, Mr Zvoma also said Cdes Oppah Muchinguri and Ru-gare Gumbo would be sworn in as Non Constituency MPs before the commencement of the polls.
The two are filling vacancies left by Vice Presidents Joice Mujuru and John Landa Nkomo in the House of Asse-mbly and Senate respectively.
Cdes Gumbo and Muchinguri will assume Parliamentary seats in line wi-th provisions of Constitutional Amendment (19) that created the inclusive Government.
Mr Zvoma said he had since notified President Mugabe of the developme-nts following the Supreme Court judgment in line with constitutional requi-rements.
“The President has set that the election be held at 3pm at Parliament Buil-ding tomorrow (today). We have put in place all the necessary arrangements for the election in the event that there is more than one candidate,” he said.
Mr Zvoma said in terms of Parlia-ment’s Standing Order (6), the election would be strictly by secret ballot.
He said the nominees would also be allowed to select two polling agents each from the members.
“Each member must receive a sec-ret ballot from the clerk and each me-mber must indicate his or her choice on the ballot in the secrecy of the polling booth.
“Having marked the choice in the secrecy, each member must fold the ballot paper in the polling booth then show the stamp to the presiding officer (the Clerk of Parliament) and only then will the member be allowed to deposit it in the ballot box,” he said.
Mr Zvoma said once a member had voted, he/she would be required to lea-ve the chamber, adding that adequate measures had been put in place to ensure that the chaos that marred the election of Mr Moyo would not be repeated.
The clerk said printing of the ballot papers would be done in the presence of polling agents, the candidates and the media after the nomination, adding that voting would be one-and-a-half hours long.
He said he would bring a register of members eligible to vote and said they would need to bring positive identification to ensure a smooth voting process.
“Tallying and verification of ballot papers would be done with designated agents and candidates and when the process has been completed, we will go back to the chamber to announce the results.
“When the results have been annou-nced, the elected candidate will make his acceptance speech,” Mr Zvoma said.
He said if there was a tie, the matter would be decided by the toss of a coin as per tradition.
Mr Zvoma said any member who disregarded the set rules would have his ballot nullified.
The nomination of Cdes Gumbo and Muchinguri will bring Zanu-PF members in the House of Assembly to 98 while MDC-T also has 98 and MDC eight.
Energy and Power Development Mi-nister Elton Mangoma from MDC-T, who is facing corruption charges may not take part since he is still in custody.
Mr Zvoma reiterated that Mr Moyo was no longer representing Matobo North Parliamentary Constituency since he relinquished the seat in 2008.
“Following the election of Lovemore Moyo as de facto Speaker on August 25, 2008, he wrote to chairman of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the President informing them of the vacancy in Matobo North pursuant to his election,” Mr Zvoma said.
Yesterday, Zanu-PF MPs met in Harare and unanimously agreed to vote for Cde Khaya Moyo.
In an interview after the caucus, Zanu-PF secretary for information and publicity Cde Gumbo, said it was ag-reed that Cde Khaya Moyo was a credible person suitable to lead the august House.
“This was an internal discussion to strategise about voting tomorrow. We agreed that we should support our na-tional chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo and we are trying to work with other parties in Parliament.
“Cde Khaya Moyo is a credible candidate with leadership qualities to lead the House in a balanced manner.”
Cde Gumbo said Parliament was a respectable institution and emphasised the need for all parties to elect the best candidate for the post.
He said Cde Khaya Moyo had a traceable and clean political record and was confident that Zanu-PF would win the post.
Cde Khaya Moyo is a veteran politician who has served as a Cabinet Minister and as Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa.
Meanwhile, the Prof Ncube-led MDC yesterday said it would now support an MDC-T candidate contrary to its earlier decision to boycott the poll.
Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, the party’s secretary-general Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mu-shonga said events of the last week had merited a change in position.
Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga clai-med Zanu-PF was seeking to rig the vote by getting an unfair electoral advantage over MDC-T by arresting the party’s MPs.
“In particular the timing of the re-arrest of Honourable Elton Mangoma, Minister of Energy and Power Development and the threats of further arrests of MDC-T Members of Parliament by the police.
“This means that Zanu-PF is seeking to rig the vote in the Speaker’s election by getting an unfair electoral advantage over the MDC-T by the illegal reduction of eligible Members of Parliament able to participate in the Speaker’s election,” she said.
“Whilst our view remains that mora-lly the MDC-T does not deserve our vote, we have decided that due to our belief in the fundamental values of justice, freedom and democracy, we will urge our MPs to vote for the MDC-T candidate.”
She said her party’s standing committee met on March 20 and agreed that the MDC would not field a candidate for the position of the Speaker since it presently holds the post of Deputy Speaker.
“We also agreed that the party wou-ld not support a Zanu-PF or MDC-T candidate considering that the two parties in recent months seem to have found common ground evidenced by their conduct over developments following the MDC congress.
“In particular that both parties ag-reed to disregard the principles of the Global Political Agreement regarding the representation in Government of the political parties,” she said, in reference to the party’s request to replace Professor Arthur Mutambara with Prof Ncube as Deputy Prime Minister.
She said in MDC’s view it meant that the parties could easily agree on who should hold the position of Speaker.
Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga said MDC-T, in the last two years, has systematically sought, by corrupt means to destroy their party by bribing their MPs and councillors.
She accused Zanu-PF of using State machinery to destabilise her party.