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Auxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter
MDC-T has launched a fresh bid to have seats belonging to 18 “rebel” MPs declared vacant following the expulsion of ex-Zanu-PF members Didymus Mutasa and Temba Mliswa from the legislative assembly.

On Wednesday, the Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda declared Mutasa’s Headlands seat and Mliswa’s Hurungwe West constituencies vacant as they were no longer members of Zanu-PF under whose ticket they were elected.

MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu said they were petitioning the Speaker to consider their application.

The fresh bid to expel the MPs from parliament comes days after the MDC Renewal Team joined forces with the Welshman Ncube led MDC to form the United Movement for Democratic Change (UMDC). The united party will meet to adopt a new Constitution next month and then elect new leaders at a congress to be held in October.

“We’re proceeding to write another letter to the Speaker and President of the Senate in terms of Section (129) (k) of the constitution of Zimbabwe. We’re basically saying 18 rebel MDC-T MPs should be recalled from Parliament,” said Gutu.

He said the Speaker should not selectively apply the provisions of the Constitution.

“We’re calling on them to impartially uphold the provisions of the constitution. We’re saying if the Speaker could promptly accede to the request to recall Mutasa and Mliswa then on what basis should he then refuse to accede to the MDC request to recall the 18 rebel members of Parliament.

The Mliswa and Mutasa case is similar to that of the MDC-T rebel MPs,” said Gutu.

Gutu said the decision to recall the MPs follows a resolution passed at his party’s National Congress last year.

The MPs include UMDC Secretary General, Tendai Biti, the Madzore brothers Paul and Solomon, Willias Madzimure, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo and his wife Roselene Nkomo, Lucia Matibenga, Bekithemba Nyathi, Settlement Chikwinya, Reggie Moyo, Gorden Moyo, Albert Mhlanga, Evelyn Masaiti, Judith Muzhavazhe and Moses Manyengavana.

In the Senate, the MDC-T wants to recall Sekai Holland, Rorana Muchihwa and Watchy Sibanda.

“MDC-T is the biggest opposition political party in Zimbabwe and we’ve no problems in finding suitable candidates,” said Gutu.

Speaker of Parliament Adv Mudenda last year dismissed the MDC-T’s bid to recall the MPs saying the matter was before the courts.

The MDC-T later said it had withdrawn the matter before the courts.